


Remnants

by Rochelle_Templer



Category: All Creatures Great and Small (TV), All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
Genre: Episode Related, Episode Tag, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, I'm going all over the place with these prompts for this collection, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fic, brief mention of abuse in a couple chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-23 04:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 26,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16152044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rochelle_Templer/pseuds/Rochelle_Templer
Summary: A collection of Inktober for Writers prompts, one for each day in October.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For my Inktober for Writer's project this year, I decided to stick to one fandom: All Creatures Great and Small. My short fics for these prompts will take place both before and during canon. They will also be around 500-1000 words apiece. 
> 
> This chapter takes place around the beginning of Season Three.

_October 1st Prompt: I see you._

* * *

 

Tristan let out a wheezing breath and wondered if he had time for a Woodbine after this job.

He had just spent the last fifteen minutes chasing one of Mrs. Bond’s cats around the garden. Thankfully, it wasn’t Boris. Tristan doubted he would ever consider chasing Boris as that would require a sudden, insatiable urge to get clawed and bitten by twelve pounds of pure, feline malice.

No, this was supposed to be one of Mrs. Bond’s tamer cats: Periwinkle. Not really a name for a cat, but Tristan had long since given up on trying to understand how Mrs. Bond chose names for her numerous charges.

Tristan wiped another bead of sweat off his brow and huffed. Siegfried had acted like he should be privileged to have this job. Not so long ago, Mrs. Bond had lost all faith in him after the disastrous attempt to give Boris an injection while in the house. Four breathless minutes and several pieces of shattered dishware had been enough for her to ban him from the property. It wasn’t until he had saved those kittens some time later that she reluctantly changed her mind about him.

Still, she wasn’t about to let Tristan into the house which led to this current predicament of tracking down Periwinkle in the garden.

“Oh come on, you wretched cat,” Tristan mumbled. “I haven’t got all day for this.”

The thing was, Tristan couldn’t really get that upset with the poor thing. Periwinkle seemed like an amiable enough kitty. Just overly playful. And right now, she clearly thought he was up for a game of hide and seek outside. Well, that was better than knowing that she’d tried to maim him if he ever caught up with her.

However, that still didn’t change the fact that she needed her follow-up injection and Tristan couldn’t get to his other jobs until he found her.

Tristan let out a long sigh and paced around the garden. The afternoon sun was baking him. Rays of stuffy heat made this a far less pleasant stroll than it could have been.

Relief finally came when he walked under a clump of trees toward the edge of the yard. From here, the sunlight wasn’t right in his eyes and he could enjoy the slight breeze rustling the leaves. He scanned the area around him, taking a brief moment to admire the ruins that circled the house the Bonds lived in with their cat menagerie.

Tristan took a deep breath. He hadn’t seen Periwinkle in several minutes and began to wonder if maybe she had sneaked back into the house. But if she did, how would he convince Mrs. Bond to let him search in there? Tristan doubted her trust in him had been restored that much.

Then, suddenly, a flicker of movement caught Tristan’s eyes. He focused his gaze on it, and soon, a large grin appeared on his face.

There, just behind one of the smaller bushes, and next to a section of mossy wall was the tip of a tail.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place pre-canon and is an expansion of my explanation for when and why Tristan ended up living with Siegfried for what was most likely years.   
> At this point, Siegfried is about 27 and Tristan is about 11. It's also been a little over a year since Siegfried became qualified.

_October 2nd Prompt: I thank you._

* * *

 Siegfried took another sip from his whiskey, savoring the woodsy burn as it slid down his throat.

It wasn’t an unpleasant way to spend the last few moments of the day before retiring: sitting with a quality drink in front of a dying fireplace. Most nights, it was something Siegfried could look forward to.

However, today was not the usual sort of day. It wasn’t even like the expected, less pleasant days that came with being a new assistant in a country veterinary practice. This had probably been the worst day Siegfried could remember since he learned of the passing of his father.

And the worst of it was, it should have been entirely avoidable. He simply should have known what had been happening.

Siegfried finished what was in his glass and sat it down on the stand next to him, scowling. Earlier that day, he had driven to Brawton to spend a relaxing weekend with his mother and his younger brother who were living with his cousin, Nellie and her husband, Jack.

It was the first real vacation he had had since becoming qualified and being hired on as an assistant vet. The hours had been long and hard, but Siegfried was soon making a decent living for himself. Finally, after a year of dealing with a punishing workload, his employer, Alistair Grant, had hired another assistant which gave Siegfried the chance to take a brief vacation.

Grant had even given Siegfried one of the practice’s vehicles to use while on his weekend holiday. Thus, Siegfried had left early that morning with a head full of plans for his precious time off. Maybe take Mother to a nice lunch or dinner. Then, of course, he’d take Tristan out to the pictures one evening or to a cricket match. Maybe the three of them could go on a picnic. The last time he had seen them was during a quick visit one afternoon almost three months ago, so Siegfried was eager to catch up with them.

Instead of a relaxing family weekend, however, Siegfried was confronted with the terrible realization of how fractured his younger brother’s life in that house had become. Instead of the cheerful, excited greeting he usually got, Siegfried had discovered Tristan hiding himself away in the house while also trying to conceal a fresh black eye. A black eye Jack had given him.

After that, everything had happened swiftly and yet also like something from a dream. Siegfried vaguely remembered packing a couple of suitcases of his brother’s things…or more accurately, flinging clothes and a few personal belongings into them…and then informing Mother that Tristan would be living with him from now on before storming out of the house with his little brother and driving back to Darrowby.

At the time, it was inconceivable to Siegfried to consider any other option than taking his brother with him. Even while caught up in the haze of anger over what had happened to his baby brother, he knew that he’d never forgive himself for leaving Tristan behind.

However, now that he was back in Darrowby and his new life as a veterinary assistant living in his employer’s manor, Siegfried felt the full weight of his choices bearing down onto him.

The reality was, he was a bachelor who was just getting started on his professional life. He didn’t have a home of his own, little savings to speak of, and not much time he could call his own most days. Grant had been kind enough to welcome Tristan into the manor and had offered him a spare room next to Siegfried’s to stay in. However, it was unfurnished, aside from a wardrobe and a chair. Thus, Tristan would have to share Siegfried’s room for a short while.

Siegfried ran a hand over his face. He would need to make arrangements to have the rest of Tristan’s possessions and furniture from his little brother’s room moved to the manor. Then there was Tristan’s education. School would start again in a little over a month. Siegfried would have to find a place to send Tristan and make arrangements to pay for it with Mother out of the trusts that Father had left for his schooling. Also, he would probably need to make some kind of arrangements to be recognized as Tristan’s guardian so that he could handle any major decisions involving his brother himself.

Responsibility after responsibility piled up in Siegfried’s mind. Of course, he had envisaged having a family of his own someday, but that was a dream he didn’t imagine he would even begin to fulfill for years to come. Not until he had a practice of his own at the very least.

Now, he was confronted with the momentous task of raising his little brother on his own while struggling to eke out a living for himself. How would he manage it? What if he couldn’t handle all the responsibilities required of him? What if he made so many mistakes with Tristan’s upbringing, he ended up doing more harm than good? And could Tristan even be happy here?

“Siegfried….”

Siegfried’s head shot up and he looked over to see Tristan, dressed in his pajamas and robe, slowly sidle into the room.

“Tristan, what are you doing up?” he asked, turning to face him. “You’re supposed to be in bed. We have a lot we’re going to need to do tomorrow, so you should….”

Siegfried’s words trailed off as he watched Tristan sit down beside him. His little brother kept his head tilted so the bruise around his eye was out of view. Not that it mattered. Siegfried had already seen how it swollen it still was, causing another momentary flash of rage inside him.

Tristan took a deep breath, his head down. “Siegfried…I’m sorry. About…I mean, you didn’t have to…I could go back and….”

Siegfried put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “You’re not going back, Tristan. And not because I felt any obligation to take you in. I want you here. Do you understand?”

Tristan nodded slowly and finally looked up at him. And for the first time that day, a trace of a smile appeared on his face.

“Siegfried…thank you.”

Siegfried grinned back at him. Tristan had already thanked him once that day for taking him to Darrowby. However, he was pretty sure this was an expression of gratitude for far more than that.

As Siegfried drew Tristan in for a brief embrace, he felt all those worries shrink and lose their gravity.

It would be all right. They’d find their way through it all. Siegfried was certain of that now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place at an unspecified point in Season One.

_October 3rd Prompt: I understand you._

* * *

 “It’s a mystery, Mr. Farnon. One moment, she’s fine, the next…well…you can see what she’s like now. None of the stable boys will go near her.”

Siegfried nodded, but wasn’t really listening anymore. Mr. Gower had been telling him the same thing over and over again for the last five minutes as they strolled toward the stables. That he’d come home yesterday to find his favorite mare furiously pacing around the stall and chewing at the box door. Of course, he had seen a little of this once in a while before, but not like how it was now.

As they had approached the stall, Siegfried had seen a pair of the stable boys out of the corner of his eye. Not that they were really “boys”. They were young men, at least in the physical sense.

The stable hands shared a knowing nod and smirk, clearly interested in getting to watch the supposedly experienced vet scamper away from the aggressive creature in the box. Siegfried had seen them lurking around the Drovers. Tom Barfield’s cousins, and a disreputable pair they were. Why Gower had hired them to look after his horses, Siegfried could not begin to imagine.

Siegfried could hear the mare’s agitation before he entered the stable. Hooves clattered on the floor of the box, Snorts were terse and yet oddly unsteady. The moment Siegfried opened the top door of the box, teeth clamped down on the edge of the lower door.

“You see what I mean, Mr. Farnon,” Gower nodded. “She used to be such a kindly sort of horse. Don’t know what turned her into this. Granted, I’ve been away for a couple of months, but still…a horse doesn’t change that fast, does it?”

“Depends on what the cause of the change is,” Siegfried replied while keeping his gaze on the mare in front of him.

He needed to get closer to this horse, but she didn’t seem to be in the mood for any human contact.

“Looks like Darrowby’ll be needing a new vet soon,” one of the Barfield cousins sniggered a few feet back.

Siegfried clenched his jaw, but kept his features neutral. Gower said that this had been a good-natured horse until now, and as vaguely dim as Gower could sometimes be, Siegfried didn’t figure he would be that far from the mark.

He would just have to appeal to that better nature.

“It’s all right,” he murmured, approaching slowly, but confidently. He puckered his lips, blowing light, reassuring noises at the mare until his hand was finally able to reach her muzzle. At first, the mare reared her head away, but at the second approach, she allowed Siegfried to touch her.

Siegfried leaned close, stoking her head and neck. “Now…what is bothering you? What can I do to help?”

He fished a sugar cube out of his pocket and gave it to her, pleased that she took it eagerly. After a couple more pats, he walked into the box, only giving a momentary glance at the astonished look on Gower’s face and the shocked ones on the Barfields’.

Then the examination began. A couple of times, the mare still tried to chew on the door, but Siegfried was able to coax her away so he could continue.

“I see,” he muttered once he was finished. He heaved a long sigh and finally turned back toward Gower.

“Do you know what’s wrong with her then?” Gower asked. “Is it serious?”

“Only if you let it become serious,” Siegfried answered, his ire creeping into his tone. “Your mare has a sodium deficiency.”

“A what?”

“Salt, Mr. Gower,” Siegfried said. “She should have some salt in her stall and there isn’t any. Loose salt preferably. Salt is vital to a horse’s diet. That’s why she keeps biting the door. It’s not because she’s becoming aggressive. She’s just desperate to find something with salt in it to satisfying the great craving her body has for it.”

Gower turned toward the Barfields. “You said you knew about horses. Why weren’t you giving her salt like you were supposed to?”

Both of the cousins shrugged, their expressions sheepish. “We had a bucket in there. Thought she still had some. We didn’t know it was that important.”

Gower glared at them for a moment more before turning back toward Siegfried. “Well, all right, Mr. Farnon. That’s why she’s chewing at the wood. But what about the other things? The pacing and all that.”

“She’s bored, Mr. Gower,” Siegfried said, a trace of irritation remaining in his voice. “She probably hasn’t been exercised the way she needs to be or had any chance to do much beyond remain in the stables. Take her out for rides again and you’ll see a difference soon enough.”

Siegfried turned his glare toward the Barfields who visibly quailed at the look in his eyes.

“And I suggest you consider making some changes in your personal staff, Mr. Gower. That is, if you value your horses.”

Gower’s lips pressed into a thin line, but Siegfried was unconcerned. He knew Gower’s indignation was not aimed at him.

Instead, he went back to rubbing the mare’s nuzzle, bowing his head close to her again.

“It will be better soon,” he said, his voice low and reassuring. “I promise.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the "A Dying Breed" (Episode 3.08).

_October 4th Prompt: I forgive you._

* * *

Siegfried wanted this awful silence to end, but couldn’t bring himself to break it.

Part of that was for practical reasons. Herbie’s horse’s condition was certainly serious. Something had punctured the sole. Siegfried was certain of that. Now it was just a matter of finding out what had done it and how bad the puncture was. Although, any puncture in the hoof of a horse that old was serious. Not that Siegfried had any desire to tell Herbie that.

Thus, while he was driving, Siegfried’s mind was occupied with all the possible diagnoses he could end up giving and the best ways to treat Dolly. Silence made it easier to focus. Still, he also knew he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that that was far from the only thing that was preying on his mind.

Next to him, Tristan quietly stared out the window, watching the countryside speed by him. Now that he had a chance to think about it, Siegfried figured he probably should have left Tristan behind to man the surgery. Then again, there had been no one in the waiting room, and Tristan’s assistance could be invaluable if this turned out to be as serious as Siegfried thought it was.

Siegfried’s expression became grim. No, that wasn’t the entire truth either. Tristan’s help could be useful, but that wasn’t the only reason he had brought him along. Or maybe even the real reason either.

Deep down, Siegfried knew it was because he didn’t want to let Tristan out of his sight for a while.

That thought actually produced a faint chuckle which, thankfully, Tristan didn’t appear to notice. His little brother wasn’t a child although he did often require plenty of minding. Still, it wasn’t as if Tristan needed to be supervised for the rest of the day.

Then again, Siegfried was still worried about him. Had been ever since yesterday when he saw that haunted look in his little brother’s eyes. A look Siegfried knew he had been responsible for.

Any humor that Siegfried had had vanished. He knew he was going too far when he ranted at Tristan about the rumors of his little brother setting up his own practice and about his supposedly questionable loyalty. But Siegfried hadn’t been able to stop himself. The anger and worry he had over what was beginning to feel like an inevitable war were mixed with concerns over what that could mean for Tristan in particular. They had churned inside Siegfried for weeks, although he had kept them under control for the most part.

 Hearing that awful rumor had simply been the last straw. He hadn’t meant to take those feelings out on Tristan, but that’s what happened anyway.

Siegfried stole another glance at his little brother. He had already apologized profusely for his terrible behavior, but he couldn’t completely let go of the doubts that it hadn’t been enough.

Had his little brother truly taken the apology to heart? Or was he still worried about being rejected in the end?

Fingers curled tighter around the steering wheel while Siegfried struggled to get his emotions under control. He’d spent years trying to reassure Tristan that he could always rely on his older brother to be there for him. And here he had very nearly destroyed that trust with a few thoughtless words. He hadn’t meant any of it and had assumed that Tristan would know that too. And yet, clearly his little brother hadn’t known and was ready to leave Skeldale…perhaps for good…under the impression that Siegfried didn’t want him around anymore.

Siegfried let out a sigh. He knew he could be a bit irascible at times. All men had flaws and that was his. He was certain that Tristan understood that, but perhaps it had all gone too far this time. Perhaps things simply wouldn’t be the same between them anymore.

“How long did Herbie say Dolly had been limping?”

Siegfried flinched, startled by Tristan’s sudden question.

“Oh um, a couple of days. It was probably longer than that and he just didn’t notice.”

Tristan shook his head. “Which means whatever it is could be in there deep. And infection has had a chance to settle in.”

“Most probably,” Siegfried said, frowning. “I know these Yorkshire men don’t like to part with their brass, but I wish they would try to understand that it’s always far more expensive to wait than to call us right away. I mean, we could have set up something with Herbie if he was worried about payment. But now….”

Tristan nodded, and Siegfried knew that his little brother had guessed what he would have said next. There was another pause and then Tristan turned toward him with a weak smile.

“Well, at least he has you going out there now. If there’s something that can be done, you’ll find it. You are the horse expert, after all.”

For a brief second, Siegfried had been tempted to scowl at him, but then, just as suddenly, he realized that there hadn’t been even a trace of sarcasm in Tristan’s words. It was a statement that his little brother had treated as simple fact.

Instead, he looked over with a wan smile of his own which he swiftly replaced with a much more serious expression.

“Now, I’ll want you to pay attention while we’re out there, Tristan. Even with tractors replacing the work horse, you’ll still run into plenty of punctured soles and they are frequently a very tricky sort of job. Even the slightest neglect can be disastrous. So watch and readily absorb everything you see.”

“I will,” Tristan nodded. His smile was still there, but there was no irritating fatuousness behind it.

Then, Siegfried blinked in surprise when he caught something else in his brother’s eyes. It was only there for a moment, but Siegfried still saw it. The first time he had seen it was years ago while Tristan was still a boy. Siegfried had taken him out on his rounds for the first time and Tristan had watched him operate on a horse’s leg, one of the most nerve-wracking procedures a new vet could undertake.

And that entire time, Tristan had watched him with that look in his eyes. A look of complete confidence that his elder brother would heal this horse. A look of fraternal pride that Siegfried had made helping animals his chosen profession in life. A look that projected the absolute faith Tristan had in his brother.

And apparently, Tristan still carried this faith in him to this day even after such a deplorable display of bad behavior.

“Good,” Siegfried replied, turning his attention back to the road. “Because this is the sort of stuff you can never get from a textbook and will actually be useful to you when you become qualified."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tristan grin at him again, and even though he knew he shouldn’t, Siegfried wasn’t able to stop himself from grinning as well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during "Ways and Means" (Episode 2.11).

_October 5th Prompt: I'm leaving_ _you_

* * *

This was only meant to be a friendly visit. A way to temporarily escape the grief and worry that had filled her home. A respite from life’s troubles with someone who had become so dear to her.

So how could have such an innocent visit have turned into something that could ruin a man’s life?

Alice McTavish crept as quietly as she could out to Skeldale’s back garden, grateful that she managed to avoid running into anyone else along the way. She retreated as far as she could until she found a tree she could slump against and sank down to the ground.

She thought back to the day she had met Tristan. He’d come to her family’s hotel late one night, drenched by the rain, his train having arrived far later than it should have. He’d gone to the first place that still had its lights on and had begged for a place where he could at least dry off. Her father, being the generous soul he always was, immediately assured him that he could have a room and encouraged him to sit by the fire.

It was when Alice had brought a towel to him that she had seen Tristan’s beautiful smile for the first time. A smile that was the golden sunshine that could brighten the bleakest landscape. She knew at that moment that he would be special to her.

There were plenty of smiles after that. Whenever she offered him breakfast or let him know that she needed to freshen up his room. Even if all she did was walk into the same space he was currently in. That smile was always there. And even more importantly, Tristan was always eager to draw out everyone else’s smiles as well.

It didn’t take long for Alice to get to know him. About his veterinary studies which never seem to cause him as much stress as she thought they would. About his older brother in Darrowby who he managed to poke fun at more than once with affection in his eyes all the while. About how he spent time at pubs to socialize just as much as to quaff beers. About how much he loved black current jam on his toast.  

It also didn’t take long for her to fall in love with him.

Her father and mother had advised caution. They were fond of Trissy too, but they weren’t so naïve that they thought there were no other girls in his life. Alice had tried telling them that she was well aware of that and didn’t care. But then her mother pulled her aside one day.

_“Alice, love isn’t just something a man and a woman feel. It becomes a part of them. A part they might not be able to live without once it takes hold. So think hard, think so hard Alice, before you allow the seed of love to grow. Make sure its blossoming won’t choke the garden of your life.”_

Alice had gracefully accepted her mother’s words, but had not understood them. How could love, real love, be so destructive? Certainly, love could be selfish and greedy, but that was only between selfish and greedy people. Not with someone like Trissy.

Thus, when she finally found the chance, she followed Tristan to Darrowby. Once she was there, she felt she understood why home meant so much to him. His brother was certainly complex, but she could sense the bond between them. James and Helen were lovely people, and Mrs. Hall kept such a nice house. Skeldale House was one of the warmest, most welcoming places she had ever been to.

It was that atmosphere that had beckoned to her after her father died. She had desperately needed a place where happiness still permeated every corner. Where she could be with a man who she continued to fall in love with.

A man who, at last, had also seemed to fall in love with her.

Earlier that day, Alice’s heart had felt lighter than it had in a long time. Trissy looked at her with more than friendship or casual romance in his eyes. Dreams about the future began to take on so many different shapes, but all of them had Tristan by her side.

Those dreams shattered when she heard the latter half of the argument Tristan had with Siegfried. For a moment, she had been hurt at Siegfried’s comments about Trissy’s choices, but she was sure that it was only fraternal concern. And who could blame him? His younger brother had just told him that he planned to toss aside his career so he could run off and get married.

Married. It was even more than Alice had dreamed of. To be Mrs. Tristan Farnon. And she could tell that Trissy was serious about his intentions. However, he had also been serious about giving up the life he had just to be with her.

Alice put her face in her hands. It would have been so easy to just go along with Trissy’s plans just a short time ago. Back when Tristan never seemed that concerned about his studies or whether he’d ever become qualified as a vet. He could find some other way to make a living, surely he could.

It was such a comfortable lie. One that she couldn’t believe in any more after she had seen how devoted Tristan was to saving that poor woman’s kittens. After seeing how important it was to him.

No, being a vet was not just something to do. It was something Tristan was. Something he needed to be. His life at Skeldale was not just one of chance and convenience. It was what had made him into the man she loved.

_“…think hard, think so hard Alice, before you allow the seed of love to grow. Make sure its blossoming won’t choke the garden of your life….”_

A sob rose up in Alice’s throat. Mother had been so concerned about her; she hadn’t had a thought about Trissy. She hadn’t considered the possibility that it was his garden, his life that could be swallowed up.

Her breaths came out in shallow gasps as she lifted her head. She loved him. She always would. But now she understood that love was not always about all the gifts and pleasures that it could give you.

Sometimes, love was also about what…or who…a person was willing to let go.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pre-canon chapter that, in my own fic-verse, takes place after my "From Loss" fic. 
> 
> At this point, Siegfried is 19 and Tristan is about 3 years old.

_October 6th Prompt: I'm grateful for you._

* * *

The last thing Siegfried wanted right now was company.

Almost two weeks ago, a telegram came to the house that changed his and his family’s lives forever. Father had been injured and had died shortly afterward in a field hospital. He had died fighting in a war that Siegfried couldn’t begin to understand and that his father never should have been involved with in the first place.

There had been no way to recover Father’s remains. They would be lost forever in one of the numerous battlefield graveyards. However, they did manage to send back a couple of his personal effects and one of his uniforms. It hadn’t been an easy decision for her to make, but Mother insisted on a burial for her husband, so that uniform…one of the few things that was returned to them…would take Father’s place in the coffin.

The funeral had taken place the previous day. A dark, cold, rainy day. A day that matched the feelings in Siegfried’s heart. Mother had drifted through the proceedings like a specter. Not truly dead, but not really living. After it was over, she had been whisked away without warning by her father and sisters, leaving Siegfried to mind Tristan until she returned.

The first evening after the funeral hadn’t been too difficult. Their house keeper had left plenty of food out for them and it was just a matter of offering some to Tristan and then letting him play in his room until it was time for bed.

The next morning, however, had felt insurmountable. Siegfried hadn’t wanted to get out of bed. Hadn’t wanted to face the next day. But Tristan gave him little choice in the matter when he showed up in Siegfried’s room and kept tugging on his bed sheets.

Siegfried tried to remain patient while he helped Tristan dress for the day and then gave him breakfast. But the hollow feeling inside him hungered to find ways to fill itself. And one of the easiest ways was to be irritated by everything his baby brother did: the way Tristan giggled when Siegfried accidentally added salt instead of sugar to his coffee, the bits of porridge that kept sticking to his brother’s chin, or even just the fact that Tristan kept smiling at him when it was such a sharp contrast to how Siegfried felt.

That irritation continued to build as the morning went on and was expressed in dozens of small ways such as a tightened jaw or a venomous glare when Tristan wasn’t looking.

Those dark feelings finally reached their breaking point when Tristan began to pester Siegfried to play with him. At first, Siegfried had tried to just ignore it. Tristan had been left on his own a lot over the last couple of days and was probably lonely by now. It was understandable that he longed for his big brother’s companionship.

However, the few scraps of sympathy Siegfried was able to dredge up were crushed under the weight of his grief.

“Stop it, Tristan! Go to your room and leave me alone for once!”

The sunny smile that had been on his baby brother’s face all morning immediately fell away, and Siegfried did not wait to see the hurt look that was sure to be forming in Tristan’s eyes. Instead he dashed out the back door. He kept running until he was at the ancient stone wall that lined the garden behind their house. Once he was there, he braced his hands against the wall and leaned forward while his body shook, desperately trying to release the emotions that were suffocating him.

He had trembled so badly, he didn’t even realize it at first when he began to cry.

Siegfried let his arms drop and sank down to sit on the ground, his legs hitched up and his head bowed. The grief he felt over Father’s loss seemed to be growing with each passing day. There was no relief from it. Memories filled every space in the house. They came to Siegfried every time he saw a photograph of his family. Every time he passed by the record player and thought about how Father would be playing his Wagner records right now if he could. Every time he went to groom his horse and realized he would never go on a ride with his father again.

He gasped, trying to regain control and failing. In that moment, Siegfried saw the bitter irony in his desire to be left alone. Because that was all he was these days. Alone. Mother was lost in her own world of grief. Mother’s relatives had focused their attention on her obvious suffering. Father’s relatives had congratulated Siegfried for “bearing up so well during this difficult time” and left things at that.

Any other time, if Siegfried had felt overwhelmed, Father had taken care of him. Not anymore. Never again. He was alone. He would have to learn to accept that and rely on his own strength.

“S’gfried.”

Siegfried gulped and raised his head, furiously swiping at his eyes. Tristan was standing only a couple of feet away from him. Siegfried couldn’t understand how he hadn’t heard his little brother walking toward him, but he also wasn’t in the mood to figure it out.

Instead, he scowled and turned his head away. “I said leave me alone. Go on! Get back in the house!”

Siegfried squeezed his eyes shut, silently willing his baby brother to go away. Eventually, he did hear a sound, but it was of approaching footsteps instead of retreating ones.

“Siegfried.”

Siegfried blinked hard and turned his face back toward Tristan who was now standing between Siegfried’s arched up legs. His brother had never said his name properly before, always squashing the first syllable of it. This time though, Tristan had said it slowly and distinctly.

A solemn expression Siegfried had never seen before on Tristan’s face appeared as his baby brother reached up and grabbed Siegfried’s shoulders, his tiny fingers curling onto them.

“Siegfried…don’t cry.”

It was hardly an elegant or profound expression of sympathy, but Siegfried could see the compassionate meaning behind that child-like gesture.

Siegfried reached over and pulled Tristan in for a hug which Tristan immediately reciprocated by wrapping his arms around his elder brother’s neck.

“I won’t cry, Tristan,” he said, smiling through fresh tears. “Not anymore. I promise.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place some time between Season One and Two.

_October 7th Prompt: I inspire you._

* * *

Was it possible to fall in love with a place?

James Herriot pulled his car off to the side of the road and got out. He’d just finished an arduous round of lambing that had gotten him up in the middle of the night and had kept him out until the morning sun had already risen. He was tired. Bone tired. And hungry. Mrs. Hall was sure to have breakfast going by now and would be serving it soon. James was already looking forward to a stack of bacon and three eggs this morning, not just two.

Hopefully by the time breakfast started, there would be more than just Helen waiting at the table to receive it. Granted, Siegfried and Tristan were still asleep when he left Skeldale before dawn, but with lambing season in full swing, it was more than likely that at least one of them would have been called out as well.

Frigid air billowed around James’ face. It was bitterly cold out, but at least the slow gusts had stopped blowing snow around. Instead, there was a vast white stillness. The sun made the snow sparkle like a layer of stars coating the fells. The weather was brutal, but it was also beautiful.

James took in a deep breath, his teeth chattering by the end of it. He’d seen plenty of these snowy hills the last couple of days. Helen had teased that he was practically living in his car, and James was inclined to agree with her.

And yet, when he stood here and watched the sun slowly climb into the clear sky, James still had that sensation of seeing it for the first time. That sense of wonder which, in theory, should have faded with familiarity was still as strong as ever.

He smiled and shook his head. The Dales were another world far apart from his childhood home in Edinburgh. Of course, he’d heard of them, learned the basics about then, as a boy in school. And yet, seeing these hills stretched out for miles, he wondered why his teachers neglected to tell him about this being such a magical place.

James backed up, ready to get into his car again and continue his trip home, but hesitated at the last minute. He hoped he would never tire of this. He hoped that he would never stop yearning for the chance to stop in the middle of his day and take this countryside in. He hoped that it would never become like a neglected piece of furniture: comfortable, but no longer significant.

Because it was while he was here, while he had these precious moments to simply gaze at the landscape around him, that James realized he had finally found the home his heart had been looking for.

James smiled again and got back into his car. He needed to get home so he could warm up and grab a quick breakfast. Morning surgery hours would be coming up before too long, but maybe he could get Tris to take them today. It was so cold out, Tristan might be quite amiable to spending a few more hours by cozy fireplaces and heaters.

As for James, he would take the icy, snow-framed roads and let their empty beauty give him the energy he needed to keep up with all this new life entering the world.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pre-canon chapter that takes place shortly after another one of my fics, "Absence".
> 
> At this point, Siegfried is about thirty-three and Tristan is seventeen, and Siegfried is currently a partner in another practice in Darrowby.

_October 8th Prompt: I remember you._

* * *

The graveyard was quiet.

That was the first thing that Siegfried noticed when he entered it. This was a relief because he preferred these visits to be solitary ones, although he sometimes thought that it would be good to bring Tristan along with him at some point.

Siegfried walked slowly and silently along the rows of headstones, glancing at the names and dates etched into them. Some of the family names he recognized. Some had birth and death dates that were much too close together. Still, even if he didn’t know them personally, Siegfried felt it was important that someone take a few seconds to acknowledge them from time to time.

Eventually, he found the grave that he had come to visit. The one he always made sure to visit on this date even though it wasn’t the only time he’d visit in a year.

Siegfried stooped down and pulled away the weeds that had grown since last time and placed a handmade of bouquet of flowers he had picked from the fields behind Skeldale. The wild flowers of the Dales were always Father’s favorite.

Once he was done, he sat down on the ground and stared at the headstone in front of him, reaching out to place his hand onto the name.

_‘Edward Charles Ian Farnon.’_

_‘Beloved husband and father.’_

Siegfried pressed his fingers against the cool stone. It’d been years since Father had died in the Great War and yet he still felt the loss. Siegfried figured he probably always would. Although, days like today, his father’s birthday, made the loss even more acute.

Siegfried let his hand fall and took a deep breath.

“Father…a lot has happened since our last talk. The practice…it’s still going well. But I think Alistair is thinking of selling it. Well, he is getting a bit on. There’s another practice in Darrowby, Skeldale House, that I might be able to buy a partnership in. And if I could eventually take that practice over; it’d be in the perfect place to work from around here. It even has a surgery built right into the house. There would be plenty of room for me and Tristan and any assistants I’d need to hire.”

Siegfried paused and chuckled. “You said you weren’t surprised at all when I told I wanted to be a vet. And no wonder. What with me telling you about work every time I come here.”

He smiled and stared at the headstone before clearing his throat and speaking again.

“Tristan, he…he finally told me what he plans to do with his life. Can you believe, he wants to be a vet too? Him? He’s so lazy, I don’t know how he’ll keep up with all the work at veterinary college. When he told me, I thought he was out of his mind. But…he seems to be serious about it.”

Siegfried looked down at the grass, the smile gone from his face. “I know you had so many hopes for Tristan. Hopes that he’d have the best possible life and that he would make something really special of himself. And I know that I’ve made countless mistakes, but I promise you, I did the best I could with him, Father. I never pushed him toward this sort of work, but he chose it anyway. And I know you wouldn’t be disappointed…but I also hope that you’re proud of him as well. If he actually manages to do some real work for a change, he could be a first-class vet.”

He took another deep breath. He tried to let affection overrule any sadness he felt during these visits, but it wasn’t always possible.

“I make sure to tell him about you. About what you were like. About the time we spent together. It’s not the same, of course, but I…I think he wishes he could have known you better. I’m sure he misses you in his own way. Just as I….”

Siegfried shook his head. There was no way to know for certain, but he chose to believe that Father knew that he was still loved and remembered, even when Siegfried couldn’t express it in words.

“Tristan and I…we’re getting there, Father. It’s not perfect by any means, but we’re making a life for ourselves here in Darrowby. We’ll be happy here. I’m sure of it. And we owe that to you.”

Siegfried finally raised his head, the smile back on his face. “I can only imagine the look you would have had if you heard about Tristan and his hopelessly wayward friends rearranging all the signs in the town square while he was staying with Aunt Grace at Oxford. Honestly, I don’t know where he gets this warped sense of humor from.”

There was a dramatic shake of the head before Siegfried finally let himself laugh and continue on with all the things he knew Father would love to hear about his sons’ lives.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place at the very end of The Last Furlong (Episode 1.09).

_October 9th Prompt: I'm happy for you._

* * *

It really was a lovely wedding.

Tristan had relished watching James and Helen become absolutely lost in each other’s eyes as the ceremony proceeded. There were a couple of times when Tristan wondered if the two of them were listening when the minister asked them to recite the vows, but both James and Helen responded flawlessly. As if those vows were already seared into their minds and hearts.

Looking back on it, the actual ceremony was surprisingly brief. It seemed odd that it would be given the significance of it all. The fact that two people were getting ready to commit the rest of their lives to each other. Then again, perhaps it was for the best. It had been a cold morning and the church was rather drafty. Tristan had noticed Helen shiver once or twice. Not that that had any effect on the radiant look on her face.

Siegfried had stood next to James, a triumphant look on his face. Tristan guessed that his older brother probably felt mostly responsible for this outcome. True, Siegfried did get the need to act across to James at last. But Tristan was convinced that his contribution shouldn’t be ignored. If it wasn’t for his strategy and encouragement, Helen would have never had a chance to get to know James well enough to fall in love with him.

Tristan watched James and Helen drive off in their car. Off to their honeymoon and to TB testing. James clearly didn’t take his advice about the importance of romance to heart, but then again, Helen didn’t seem to care anyway. Odd really, but that was Helen. Not so much the odd part as her being a woman who had her own vision of what is romantic.

The cans Tristan had tied to the back clattered and danced as the car sped away.  He thought about reaching for a Woodbine, but hesitated, continuing to stare off at the car as it disappeared.

Was that what love, real, lasting love, was like? Was it a whirlwind, blowing through your life swiftly and upending everything in the process? Did James just know that Helen was the one he wanted to spend his life with from the beginning? Could Helen see that in his eyes?

Tristan’s smile slowly faded. Helen was a lovely girl. He’d thought about maybe taking her out for a drink or a dinner a couple of times, but never fancied his chances with her. Not with people like Richard Edmundson hanging around her. No, Tristan was happy with going out with girls who were looking for fun and would see that in him. Or with girls who some might consider distant, but who he saw as a very pleasant challenge.

A girl like Helen…she deserved to be happy with a man who ready to devote his remaining years to her. Someone who had plenty to offer: a man with a career, with a steady, dependable temperament. And James, he needed someone practical and caring to keep his life in order.

James and Helen…they were good for each other. They belonged together. Seeing his friends find lasting happiness made Tristan smile. Even when they were out of sight.

Even when he wondered…just for a moment…if anyone would ever look at him the way Helen looked at James….

A hand clasped his shoulder, firmly and yet gently.

“How about a drink, little brother?”

Tristan turned to see Siegfried smiling at him. Was that a knowing look in his brother’s eye? Tristan couldn’t be sure.

“That sounds marvelous,” Tristan beamed at him.

Siegfried grinned again. At that moment, Tristan didn’t care what his brother could have figured out. He was happy to go along with him to the Drovers.

And he couldn’t wait for James and Helen to get back to Skeldale.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place shortly after "Big Steps and Little Uns" (Episode 3.14)

_October 10th Prompt: I'm rooting for you._

* * *

 

“Yes, I understand, Mr. Seaton, and I will try to be out there….yes, I know it’s urgent, but so is Wilson’s bullock that’s bleeding to death. I promise, I will be as quick as I can.”

 Mrs. Hall frowned as she watched Mr. Tristan put the phone down and rub his eyes. It seemed every farm in Darrowby has had an emergency in the last forty-eight hours. Unfortunately, this was happening at the worst possible time: the day after the practice at Skeldale House was reduced to one newly qualified vet.

The frown on Mrs. Hall’s face softened. Mr. Farnon had been gone for some time now and Mr. Herriot was finally called to duty as well. Mrs. Herriot would be leaving to return to her father’s farm soon, making Skeldale even emptier than it had already become.

All because of this war, this terrible war, that surely nobody wanted. Not after all the pain and loss from the last one.

Mr. Tristan trudged back into the surgery, probably to fetch some additional things he would need now that his list of calls had grown yet again. Mrs. Hall thought back to those times when Mr. Farnon was without an assistant and Mr. Tristan was off at veterinary college again. There were brief respites, but often, Mr. Farnon worked non-stop from morning until night. It had taken all of her best efforts at persuasion and even a little scolding to make sure that he put aside some time to get some decent meals into him.

And now, Mr. Tristan was following the same path.

A hint of a fond smile finally appeared on her face. There were many who thought that Mr. Farnon and Mr. Tristan were so different as brothers, but she knew better. She figured it out the first week she started working for Mr. Farnon while Mr. Tristan was on break from his studies. Watching them go about their business at Skeldale; she swiftly realized that they weren’t so different at all. That was the real reason they argued so much. She was sure of that.

Still, she knew that Mr. Farnon had been worried for a long time that Mr. Tristan wouldn’t be able to handle becoming a vet. And, admittedly, she had had her own concerns too, especially whenever she watched him stumble up the stairs early in the morning after another “late night”. Moments like that certainly didn’t inspire confidence in a man’s character and work ethic.

Then again, Mrs. Hall had always suspected there was more to Mr. Tristan than nights spent carousing or falling asleep on the couch in the middle of the day. Or perhaps it had been Mr. Tristan’s natural charm that had convinced her of that. He did have a way with people that was hard to resist, something else he shared with his brother.

No, no she knew deep down it wasn’t that. She was long past the point when a pleasant face and clever words were enough to make her lose sight of who people really were at the core. If there was nothing behind that smile Mr. Tristan had so often, she knew she would have tired of him long before now.

Besides, she had seen plenty of times when Mr. Farnon showed himself to be one of the best vets Darrowby had had in a while…and again, Mr. Tristan was not so different from him. 

A brief flicker of worry danced in her heart, but Mrs. Hall did her best to suppress it. Mr. Farnon would come back. So would Mr. Herriot. She refused to believe otherwise. One day, they would all be back at Skeldale, and even if she wouldn’t be the one taking care of them anymore, Mrs. Hall knew she would find plenty of comfort in their being home at last.

She just wished Mr. Farnon could see how Mr. Tristan was managing the practice. Mr. Tristan was often running about, occasionally made mistakes, and usually wasn’t as sensible as he should be with his own care.

And Mr. Farnon would be so proud, so very proud of him.

“I’m off, Mrs. Hall,” Mr. Tristan said as he emerged from the surgery. “If anyone calls….”

“Aye, I know. I’ll take a message,” she nodded. “And when you get home, you’re sitting down to the mutton I’m starting on in the kitchen.”

Tristan gave her a weary smile. “Mrs. Hall, I don’t know if….”

“Mr. Farnon made time for his daily supper and so will you,” she interrupted. “I’m not having it any other way in this house.”

Tristan’s smile grew fonder and he walked over to give her a brief kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he assured her before dashing out the front door.

Mrs. Hall stared at the door, silently wishing him well, before marching back to the kitchen, determined that he’d have a meal worth hurrying home for.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place early in Season One.

_October 11th Prompt: I listen to you._

* * *

“I don’t know why I bother saying anything. They never listen. None of them do.”

Tristan nodded his head and took a long swallow from his pint while James scowled. He had just had one of the longest, hardest days in a while and had thought that taking Tris up on his offer for a couple of pints after dinner might help him unwind.

Unfortunately, the more James talked over his day, the sourer his mood became all over again.

“How many times have I asked Mr. Ripley to mend that fence?” James continued, still not touching his own pint. “How many times has Siegfried asked? Or you? But does he ever do it? Of course not. ‘Time gets away’ he says. He just doesn’t care. That’s what it is.”

Tristan nodded again as he drank down most of the rest of his pint in a triumphant gulp. Tris’ eyes were aimed at his face, but James suspected his attention was at least partially focused on the new barmaid serving drinks nearby.

“And I told Handshaw to call me if that mastitis got worse over the weekend,” James added. “And did he? Of course not. Because he knows about all about cows. Far more than the vet who told him one of his cows would never walk again. So I show up today and the problem is even worse. Then he has the nerve to complain that I should have known what could happen.”

James shook his head. None of this was anything he hadn’t encountered before. It was all little things, common annoyances that country vets faced all the time. Still, for some reason, it was as if all those little things swarmed in like so many pesky gnats, wearing down his patience until it was paper thin.

Tristan sat his empty pint glass down, glanced at the nearly full glass in front of James, and patted James’ shoulder.

“Have a drink, old son,” he said with a smile. “You’ll feel better in no time.”

James shook his head. “Yes, I suppose I…oh hell!”

“What’s wrong?” Tristan said, concerned.

“I promised Siegfried I would mix up those medicines he needed for Dent’s pigs tomorrow,” James replied. “But I also told Metcalfe I’d stop by and look at his new calf tomorrow morning. I’ll have to get right on those medicines as soon as I get home and probably skip breakfast so I can get started on my rounds.”

James scowled even more, but once again, Tristan was patting his shoulder.

“James, don’t be so gloomy. Go on, have your drink, and let the evening carry your worries away.”

James looked up at the earnest, laughing glint in Tris’ eyes and finally managed a smile of his own. It wouldn’t hurt to put all the day’s frustrations aside for a little while anyway. Especially when he had Tris to cheer him up.

* * *

The next morning, James got up before dawn to visit Metcalfe’s and got back to the surgery about thirty minutes before breakfast. If he hurried, maybe he’d still have time to mix up those potions for Siegfried and get at least a few bites of food before he had to leave again.

He yawed as he walked over to where the ingredients were shelved and was just about to reach for them when he looked down at the counter, stunned.

There, in neat jars, were all the potions he needed to give Siegfried. Ready and waiting.

James smiled and made a mental note to treat Tristan to at least a couple rounds of pints the next time he saw him again.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a while after "Big Steps and Little Uns" (Episode 3.14) but long before the 1983 Christmas special.

_October 12th Prompt: I 'm intertwined with you._

* * *

 

_‘Was it a mistake? Should I have told him?’_

Helen stared out the window, watching her father march toward the barn. It had been three months since James had left for war and two months since she had moved back to her father’s farm. A part of her had wanted to stay at Skeldale and help Tris take care of things. But Mrs. Hall had assured her more than once that she would look after Tristan until he was called up.

Helen hoped this horrible mess would be over before that happened, but eventually agreed that it would be better to spend this time with her family while she waited for her husband to come home. She promised Tris to come visit whenever she could and, reluctantly, packed her things and left her home in the top floor of Skeldale.

The day she left, Helen had paused and placed her hand onto the name plates by the door. Skeldale had been her home for only a short time, but it already felt like a part of her. Perhaps the happiest, sweetest part of her life that she had experienced since before her mother had passed away.

Coming back to the family’s farm had been comforting, but in some ways, had also made her lonely. Every day, she woke up, half expecting to get to work on some paperwork for Siegfried or to make a strong cup of coffee for Tris when he woke up or be taken into James’ arms as they opened their eyes together to face the new day.

None of that happened now. She woke up surrounded by family and yet still felt alone.

Helen let her hand fall onto the counter. She needed to start work on lunch. Her father and siblings would be hungry after the day they faced in the fields. And there was the cleaning around the house that needed to be done.

It was all familiar work. Work she had done so many times before she got married. But it wasn’t the same anymore. Half of the family she did this sort of work for now was gone, scattered throughout Europe. Perhaps never to return. The other half was merely waiting to be sent away, something Helen suspected would happen before too long.

A part of her had been ripped away by this war, and Helen knew she would never completely forgive the men in power who had allowed it to happen.

Helen bowed her head, her hands dropping to her sides. She had suspected something had changed the week before James had left, but had remained silent. James would soon be facing the horrors of war, and she needed to be certain that James would keep his focus on staying alive and coming home. Not worrying about her and what could go wrong while he was gone.

As the weeks passed by, however, she began to wonder if she had made a mistake. Yes, it was wrong to keep this from him. No matter what happened here or wherever James ended up, they were parts of one whole now. A unity that was even more intertwined that it was before.

Yes, the next time she wrote him, she would tell him the news. And she would keep writing every day so he wouldn’t miss a thing.

Helen sighed and placed her hands onto her growing midsection, pressing slightly as she imaging holding both James and the new life growing inside her as close as possible.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place early in Season Five of the series and involves one of my original characters, Timothy Farnon who is Siegfried's oldest child.

_October 13th Prompt: I surprise you._

* * *

Siegfried leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.

He’d just finished a grueling round of calls which had started immediately after breakfast. Looking back on it now, Siegfried was surprised that he’d had time to stop by Skeldale to pick up the materials he needed for his calls. Making matters worse, more than one of the farmers hadn’t been ready with the animals he was supposed to be treating when he arrived.

The result was plenty of rushing about in fields and barns before he could even begin his work. The only consolation was that all of the jobs turned out to involve simple ailments which only required injections rather than any sort of time consuming procedures. Thus, he was able to just barely make each of his calls in time.

Once the last call was finished, Siegfried decided he had earned the right to have dinner before reporting back to Skeldale to take care of the practice’s accounts. Caroline had been ready for him with a good-sized whiskey and one of his favorite records softly playing in the background in the living room.

She had just left to check on the roast she had cooking in the kitchen which Siegfried decided to use for the briefest of dozes. That attempt at light slumber though was soon interrupted by the patter of feet on the carpet.

“Father.”                                                                                                              

Siegfried smiled and opened his eyes. Standing in front of him was Timothy, his eldest son. A son who was every bit a Farnon in appearance with his bright blue eyes and golden wavy hair. Timothy had his usual thoughtful expression and was holding a large piece of paper in his hands.

“Yes, Timothy, what is it? Have you got something to show me?”

Timothy nodded. “I worked on this all week,” he said in his usual quiet voice. “It’s for you.”

His son held out the paper, and Siegfried took careful hold of it. He turned it over and his eyebrows raised in surprise.

“It’s Mother’s garden,” Timothy continued. “When the flowers are all out.”

Siegfried continued to goggle at the paper in front of him. It was a watercolor portrait of the back garden which was a bit abstract, but was still easy to identify.

It was also the first time his son had shown any interest in things besides books and learning. From his earliest days, Timothy had always been so studious and serious, showing only occasional interest in play for its own sake. In fact, there were plenty of times when both he and Caroline worried that Timothy was too reserved and solemn for a child his age.

However, it was clear now that there was a definite creative streak in his young son that he had completely missed. How could he have not seen it?

“Thank you, Timothy,” Siegfried said, giving him his warmest smile. “It’s very good.”

Timothy smiled back, and Siegfried felt his heart ache slightly. What else had he not noticed about his own son? Although Timothy had always been affectionate with him and Caroline, he was also rather enigmatic.  Could there be many more surprises that he wasn’t trying as hard as he should to uncover?

“Uncle Tristan said you’d like it,” Timothy added.

A flicker of annoyance instantly danced in Siegfried’s heart even while he did his best to remain smiling. Clearly, it was time that he had another talk with his little brother about not sharing the important things with him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place some time early in Season Three.

_October 14th Prompt: I forgot you._

* * *

“I don’t know how to explain it, Mr. Herriot. I thought for sure it’d be an easy job.”

James let out a long sigh and glanced over at pigs milling around in their pen a few yards away. All three of them had abscesses due to a still unexplained bout of fighting between them. Fortunately, there had been no discord since, but those abscesses remained and could become serious if not treated.

Unfortunately, every time James tried to get near them, the pigs would try to charge him, teeth bared and horrendous squeals filling the air. Eventually, they allowed him to start treatment, but would try to charge again after a few minutes of work at a time.

James managed to jump out of the way every time, but it made what should have been a job that took a few minutes into an hour long ordeal. Once he was done, he’d spent a full minute glaring at the pigs wishing he could watch when they were finally carted off to a pork pie factory.

Woodley, an old farmer with a small land holding flipped his cap off and scratched his head as he watched the pigs grunt and squeal at James menacingly.

“Ye remember how they started, Mr. Herriot, don’t ye?” Woodley added. “Why, they were so gentle to ye. When they saw ye coming, they’d run to the fence, snuffling as happy as can be. I don’t understand what happened.”

James nodded. He remembered those days too. Back when Woodley’s sow had had her latest litter of piglets which had come about a week earlier than expected. Despite that, the farrowing itself had been without complication, and James thought that would be the end of it.

However, it turned out to be just the beginning of Woodley’s problems. The sow ended up with an udder oedema which meant that she wasn’t giving her piglets any milk. Woodley had spotted the problem right away and had called for a vet as soon as he could. It took more than one try, but eventually, James managed manually manipulate the udder to let milk down for her litter. He then made suggestions for changes to her feed and watering schedule, hoping that would solve the problem.

This sow though, turned out to be far more problematic than anticipated. Despite Woodley going through with the changes that James had recommended, she continued to have problems releasing milk to her piglets. Thus, there were plenty of late-night calls to Woodley’s place to repeat the procedure he had done originally to get her udder producing milk. After a certain point, James stopped charging for his visits, convinced that no one could have worse luck than he and poor Woodley at this point.

Every time James did come to treat the sow again, her litter would rush over and happily shuffle around his feet, gently nudging his arms and legs with their snouts. Clearly, they had learned to associate him with the return of their mother’s milk. Even though it was frustrating to keep treating this sow for the same problem over and over again, at least he could look forward to seeing the overjoyed piglets who had become fast friends with him.

Eventually, the piglets were weaned and the sow was sent off to be butchered as it became clear she wouldn’t be able to support any more litters. Every once in a while, James still stopped by anyway to check up on the litter, pleased to see them grow into fine porcine specimens.

Today, though, those fine porcine specimens had tried more than once to bite him as he treated each of their abscesses, a thankless job which left Woodley confused and contrite.

“I thought for sure if ye came, they’d keep calm enough,” Woodley said, plopping his cap back on. “Ungrateful buggers, they’ve forgotten everything ye done for them.”

James shrugged his work coat off and finally managed to laugh.

“Don’t worry about it, Mr. Woodley,” he said. “I get that all the time. Part of a vet’s life, you see.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during "Horse Sense" (Episode 1.01).

_October 15th Prompt: I like you._

* * *

 

Helen Alderson watched the man in the brown suit lumber away, still looking a little uncertain, toward the direction she had given for Skeldale House.

She had heard him mention the horses along the road at one point and could help but listen as he expressed his admiration for them. She figured he must be from the city as the sight of one of the large work horses was not an unfamiliar one at all here in Darrowby. Even with the recent trend to replace those lovely, majestic animals with tractors.

She had heard a slight Scottish lilt in his voice and wondered if he was visiting someone. A relative who lived here, perhaps? That suitcase he was carrying certainly gave an indication that he’d be staying a while.

Although, instead of asking for the directions to a particular farm or residence, he wanted to know about Mr. Farnon’s veterinary practice. Odd, considering how he didn’t have an animal with him and definitely didn’t look like a farmer.

Helen walked along toward the shops, quickening her step as she knew that her family would need the things she was sent to buy for dinner tonight. As she strolled, she still couldn’t get that interesting man out of her mind.

Perhaps what made him stick in her mind was his smile. He had an honest, welcoming smile. It was the sort of smile that made people feel at ease, made someone feel friendly toward another person. And there had been nothing forced or insincere about it. Whoever he was, he looked like he was happy to be here….even if he also seemed a bit…nervous about it too.

Helen’s brow crinkled. Nervous? Why should he be nervous? And why was he going by Mr. Farnon’s place? Unless, perhaps….

A smile appeared on her face. Maybe this man was looking to work for Mr. Farnon. Yes, Mr. Farnon was on his own right now. His brother, Tristan was probably back at veterinary college again. Maybe this man was going to join the practice.

Helen wasn’t sure why, but she suddenly hoped that this man would get the job. Mr. Farnon was a charming, generous man, but she had also heard that he could be particular about who worked for him. Understandable as he had worked hard to get this practice and needed to have people around him who were as dedicated as he was.

She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, she was convinced that this man, this stranger she saw on the bus, would be the sort of man Mr. Farnon would want to hire. Of course, it was an absurd thought. How could she know for sure when she only spoke a few words with him?

Then again, it wasn’t just the things he had said to her. It was the way he had been with that other farmer who seemed dubious about being excited by the sight of horses. That man had responded with patient tact, something that was always valuable when dealing with farmers who were set in their ways. And he had been polite willingly even though there was a strong chance they’d never meet again. Those struck her as the actions of a kind man.

Helen smiled again and did her best to turn her mind back to the shopping. Hopefully things would work out and Mr. Farnon would hire this intriguing stranger. At some point, one of the animals would surely need attention and she’d have a chance to get to know him more.

For the rest of the day, Helen marveled over how much that prospect excited her even though she never completely understood why.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ficlet takes place some time after "Brink of Disaster" (Episode 3.09), but also a while before "Big Steps and Little Uns" (Episode 3.14)

_October 16th Prompt: I believe in you._

* * *

“Now, you’re sure you have everything you need? Rooming arrangements made? Books packed?”

“Siegfried….”

“What about money? I could….”

“Siegfried, I told you I’ve got everything fixed up. You don’t have to….”

“Nonsense, a little extra insurance is always a good idea. Here”

Siegfried reached into his pocket and pulled out a note from his wallet, thrusting it into Tristan’s hand as another thought occurred to him.

“What about your return ticket? The last thing we need is you stuck in Edinburgh with more turbuculin testing just around the corner.”

Tristan gave him a surprisingly fond smile. “I already bought my return ticket, remember? Honest, Siegfried, everything is all set.”

Siegfried frowned and watched Tristan put the note into his wallet. Ordinarily, he would be fine with leaving things at that, but today was not just another day. Today, Tristan was leaving for Edinburgh to take another pass at his finals. Another attempt to become officially qualified. It was far from the first time Tristan had had a go at this, a fact that was a source of enormous frustration for Siegfried.

However, unlike those other times, Siegfried was gripped with a sense of urgency over the whole affair. About three months ago, war had been declared in England. Before long, the military would exhaust its supply of volunteers and would begin drafting people to beef up their armies. If Tristan did not become qualified soon, he would most likely be one of those who got called up to serve.

It was an outcome Siegfried was desperate to avoid. Tristan’s place was here, at Skeldale House. Not putting himself in harm’s way on some random battlefield. A reserved occupation status could spare Tristan from that fate. Siegfried had already decided to offer himself to the military’s cause and figured that he could count on his little brother to watch over the practice while he was gone.

But that all hinged on his being qualified. If Tristan failed his exams again this time….

An icy wind blew past him, causing Siegfried to shiver slightly and shake his head. Most of the time, he did his best to avoid thinking about that. He preferred to focus on action rather than possibility. However, sitting at this train station waiting for Tristan to leave made it impossible for him to think of little else. His younger brother sat beside him on this old wooden bench with chipped, peeling paint and joints that creaked. It was a grey day out. Grey, cold and windy. Not the sort of day that inspired happier thoughts.

“And you remember what I told you yesterday? About how old Hargreaves being one of the examiners this time? Take it from me, he always asks a question related to listeriosis in pigs. So make sure to spend some extra time going over it.”

“I will,” Tristan nodded. “And I already re-read that chapter on muscle deformities of horses’ legs like you said.”

“Good, good,” Siegfried said. “Of course, there’s always a chance that they’ll skip that subject entirely, but I doubt it. And the less things that you feel uncertain about, the better. That’s how the nerves get to you. When you have subjects you’re not confident about.”

“Right,” Tristan said with a short laugh.

The frown on Siegfried’s face deepened. Usually, Tristan displayed an irritatingly inflated confidence when it came to getting ready for exams. One that was unjustified given his paltry level of preparation. This time though, his little brother seemed oddly reserved about his prospects. As if he wasn’t sure if he could even just scrape by like he usually did.

As he continued to ponder that thought, it occurred to Siegfried that he should have seen this coming before now. A couple of weeks ago, he was sitting by the fire with a drink after a long day of work when Tristan came into the living room to make a request.

_“Siegfried, I…could you go over a few things with me? For my revision, you see.”_

It was rare for Tristan to actually ask him for assistance with his studies although it wasn’t unheard of either. Thus, Siegfried had happily taken the chore seriously: reviewing any material Tristan had questions about and then coming up with suggestions of what to study next. Later, he added in some more drill sessions which his little brother hadn’t actually asked for, but Siegfried felt would be good for him anyway.

For his part, Tristan had submitted to all the extra work Siegfried gave him with little fuss although with plenty of hemming and hawing whenever he had to answer questions. At the time, Siegfried had simply been pleased that his little brother was being so sensible with his exam preparation.

Now, however, Siegfried was worried about how confident Tristan was this time around. A shortage of confidence could easily turn out to be as problematic as an overabundance of it. His eyebrows scrunched together as he studied Tristan while also making sure not to watch him too carefully lest his younger brother become suspicious.

Another thought suddenly occurred to him which sparked another flicker of concern. It was a deeply uncomfortable question to bring up, but Siegfried knew he needed to approach it.

“I’m sure Helen and James would like you to give Miss McTavish their best wishes,” he said carefully. “As would I.”

Every trace of a smile vanished from Tristan’s face as he looked down into his lap, his fingers fidgeting. “Um, I wasn’t…well, they’re so busy at this time of year. Students taking their exams and all. And I should have called ahead sooner, but, I…. Anyway, I did find another place. It’s a bit smaller, but it’s still a nice place run by some lovely people. A couple of my friends are staying there too.”

“I see,” Siegfried said quietly. “Well, as long as it’s all set up….”

Tristan nodded, still not looking up. Guilt stirred in Siegfried’s heart and not for the first time since Alice had returned to Edinburgh. Even though he had acted out of fraternal concern, he still wondered if he had done the right thing when he tried to dissuade Tristan from marriage.

Yes, he probably would have done the same thing over again to secure Tristan’s future, but what good was a future without the promise of some happiness? So many of the girls Tristan chased were entirely unsuitable and would likely be a millstone to him. Would he ever find someone else as good for him as Alice was?

At that moment, Siegfried dearly wished that the train would hurry and get here. It seemed that the more he tried to encourage Tristan, the worse things got. Still, as difficult as this was becoming, he was determined to not send his little brother away with such a gloomy outlook.

Siegfried reached over and clasped Tristan’s arm. “Tristan, when you become qualified, we’ll make a real occasion out of it. I know, dinner at the Reniston. My treat.”

Tristan beamed at him. “Thank you, Siegfried. Hopefully, I’ll be able to….”

Siegfried squeezed his arm. “You will pass this time, little brother. I know you will.”

“Siegfried, I….” Tristan chuckled again. “Let me guess, I better pass or you’ll….”

“No, none of that,” Siegfried interrupted. “I’m simply certain that you will pass this time. Do you know why? Because, I believe that you finally know for sure that this is what you want. You may have had your doubts before, but now it’s here.”

He tapped Tristan’s chest with his fingertips and gave him a bright smile. “Now you know that a vet is what you are and is not just a job to get by. And that’s what will get you through these exams.”

A train whistle blew while the slow grind of wheels announced its arrival. Meanwhile, Tristan grinned, his eyes shining with a new determination.

“Thank you, Siegfried. I…I’ll get it this time. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, I did have Siegfried go through with that offer in another fic. XD 
> 
> For anyone who is interested, that scene is in the second chapter of my "Like Glass" story.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a while before the events in the 1983 Christmas special.

_October 17th Prompt: I think about you._

* * *

Tristan took a long puff on his Woodbine, watching the exhaled smoke drift and scatter about the sloping fells in front of him.

He sat down on the ledge of the stone bridge he had been standing on. This was where Siegfried had brought him just as England was about to declare war on Germany. It was his brother’s last attempt to shield him from the terror and misery that was inevitably creeping up on them. It had been a hopeless gesture, really, a denial of a thing that simply could not be denied.

However, it was also a gesture of affection that Tristan knew he would cherish for the rest of his life. Even years later, after the war had ended and both of them were now safely back in Darrowby, Tristan still remembered every word they had shared here that day.

Since coming home, it had become one of Tristan’s favorite places to go to when he needed time alone. A place where the gentle reminder of his steadfast bond with Siegfried provided a needed comfort while he dealt with the terrible things he had seen and heard about during the war and when he remembered the friends he had lost. A place where the familiar world of what he knew as home soothed him while he sorted through his feelings.

Like the tangled knot that was currently in his heart due to the crumpled letter in his pocket.

Tristan took in another lung full of smoke. As soon as he found out that he was being demobilized, he wrote an old friend he knew was still living in Edinburgh, Eddie Coates. Eddie had studied with him at veterinary college and had worked as an assistant in a practice on the edge of Edinburgh after becoming qualified.

Due to a lame leg, Eddie had stayed behind during the war, working with the farmers just outside of Edinburgh to keep the cattle herds healthy. While Tristan moved from base to base, the two of them wrote each other regularly to try to keep tabs on all their old classmates and friends as best they could: the ones who had stayed behind and the ones who had ended up in the military.

And the ones who would never come home again.

It was thoughts of those friends, the ones who were lost forever, who had inspired Tristan to write this latest letter. The losses had forced Tristan to confront his feelings about the fragility and brevity of life. These were the sorts of things Tristan normally did not like to dwell on, but the respect he wanted to give their memories made it impossible for him to dismiss these subjects offhand.

Still, the conclusion that he came to over and over again was that the best respect to life that a man could give was to enjoy it to the fullest. To seek happiness and find people to share that happiness with. And all throughout the war, Tristan knew who he wanted to share his happiness with: Alice McTavish.

Tristan blinked and suddenly noticed that most of his cigarette had burned away. He flicked the chunk of ash off the end and took another puff.

He had written Alice a few times after she’d gone back to Edinburgh after her father had died. Mostly brief postcards to let her know he was thinking about her although once in a while he wrote a longer letter to tell her how everyone at Skeldale was doing. Their correspondence had been stilted at first, but had gradually become friendly again, even if it wasn’t quite how it was before.

Tristan hadn’t taken this as a bad sign. They had started as friends and continued to be friends now even after his attempt to become more serious with her had fallen apart. Still, he figured it was possible that they could become closer again. Especially now that the war was finally over and he was fully qualified as a vet.

 The problem was, while serving as a vet in the armed forces, he had lost touch with her. At the time, he wasn’t too worried about it. He was often far too busy with his war work to do little more than keep up his regular correspondence with Siegfried and only send an occasional letter to Helen and Eddie. Plus, he moved around so much, it wasn’t always easy for people to write him back.

However, once the war began to wind down, he began writing her in earnest. Unfortunately, his postcards eventually were sent back as undeliverable and he realized that she must have moved away from the hotel her family had owned.

Consequently, Tristan wrote Eddie to see if he could get a lead on where she could be now. Eddie also used to stay at her family’s hotel when he was a student and had remained friendly with the family after he had qualified. If anyone would know where the McTavish family had gone, Tristan figured it would be him.

While he waited for a reply, Tristan came home and began getting used to life as a vet in country practice again. In many ways, it was far less frustrating than dealing with the military bureaucracy he had run into while serving, and Tristan found he was much happier back in the Dales.

However, he had also begun to think about a different future for himself.

When he was in the military, more than one of his supervising officers had suggested that he try for a position in the Ministry of Agriculture once the war was over. It could mean better pay, steadier hours and a chance to continue learning about the latest advances in veterinary science. Also, there was a major office in Edinburgh which meant he could live with Alice and remain close to her family if they still needed her.

Granted, it would also mean leaving Darrowby and his own family and friends. Still, Edinburgh wasn’t so far away. Tristan figured he could visit Siegfried, James and Helen as often as he liked. And as for being in a practice with his older brother…Tristan was also certain that Alice’s family wouldn’t need to lean on her so much forever. He could always return to Siegfried’s practice when he and his family were ready for the space and tranquil beauty of the Dales.

It might not be perfect, but it could be a very happy life, and that’s what mattered.

Almost three weeks later, Tristan finally got word from Eddie. There had been plenty of news about other old friends, but it was one passage in particular that had driven Tristan out of Skeldale and to this spot to deal with what he had read.

_“…and you remember that girl you were asking about, McTavish? Poor thing has been through a lot. Her mother became ill and her family ended up selling that hotel so they could set up with a smaller place just outside Edinburgh. But there was one silver lining. An old friend of the family, Gareth Taylor, came back from the war early with a bad arm. Seems he and Alice re-started something from long ago and they finally got married last year. She’s probably had that child I heard she was with by now. And I’m sure she still….”_

Tristan hadn’t really absorbed the rest of that letter. He didn’t want to.

Still, even with all the hurt and disappointment that letter had brought him, he couldn’t find it in himself to be angry. Alice had found her own happiness and he had no right to begrudge her for that. He did his best to wish her well and be glad that she wasn’t alone anymore.

Even though he also knew that he would still think about her from time to time.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place at an unspecified point early in Season Two.

_October 18th Prompt: I create you._

* * *

Waves of steam rose out of the oven as Mrs. Hall opened it up and slipped the roast she had started earlier that day back in. So far, it was cooking at just the right pace so it would be ready for dinner time this evening. That is, if the men of the house kept their word this time to return for dinner like they were supposed to. They weren’t always so mindful of that which led to too many perfectly cooked roasts being left to turn into rubber.

She wiped her hands off and walked over to the back door, looking out at the garden. Mr. Farnon said something about harvesting some marrows for her soon. On their own, marrows usually weren’t considered exciting eating, but she still remembered some recipes from her younger years that she was certain would appeal to the Farnons and Herriots. One had to find ways to make do with whatever one was given to work with.

Some leaves fluttered down from the trees at the edge of the garden. There was always so much to do around Skeldale. It was little wonder why there used to be so many servants in the place. Some of the rooms were dreadfully neglected, a fact that Mrs. Hall had to work to ignore. She knew if she brought it up to Mr. Farnon, he would just try to insist that she did too much already to worry about rooms they hardly ever used and expect her to leave it at that.

Still, it never really left Mrs. Hall’s mind completely. She might just be a housekeeper in many people’s eyes, but she often felt like far more than that. The Farnons and Herriots did so much for Darrowby. More than simply taking care of the animals. They protected livelihoods and ensured that the community would remain prosperous and have enough to eat. Consequently, she felt someone had to take on the duty of making sure that the vets of Skeldale were taken care of themselves. A duty she happily committed to.

Mrs. Hall opened the door and enjoyed the breeze that floated in. No, it was more than a duty of basic care for the people who lived and worked here. Skeldale House was more than a business, more than a place to do a job. The people here were more than just vets and a vet’s wife. They were their own community. A community of people who were more like family than many of the large groups of relatives who had spent their entire lives on the farms circling Darrowby. They were parts of one whole.

And it was up to her to keep it that way. Up to her to keep things in order so as to accommodate the disorder the Farnons tended to bring into their lives. Up to her to keep them fed when they worked far more than they should. Up to her to keep watch on the day-by-day things that helped a house run, but that the rest of them couldn’t always wrap their minds around to tend to.

That was the other half of creating a home, she figured. There was the half that had created this home with the contents of the Farnons’ and the Herriots’ hearts. And then there was the half that she, Mrs. Hall, humble housekeeper, had created through her dedication to keep her charges secure and comfortable.

Another wave of barking from the dogs made Mrs. Hall roll her eyes and close the door. No doubt, some visitor was waiting at the door or perhaps one of the Farnons or Mr. Herriot had come by for a quick stop before dashing off again. Whatever it was, she would see to it in case she was needed.

Which, as far as Mrs. Hall could see, was all the time. Not that she would ever mind that fact.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by an original character of mine from Season Four, Madge Ellis. Madge worked as a secretary at the Min of Ag at the same time Tristan worked there in my fics.
> 
> For more about her story, check out my fics "Temet Nosce" and "Closed Chapters" in that order....

_October 19th Prompt: I regret you._

* * *

 

_‘Why am I here? Why didn’t I stay in Mannerton?’_

Madge Ellis shook her head and let out a sigh. Most of the time, she didn’t have such gloomy thoughts. But today had been different.

There had been no sign of what was to come this morning. Madge had woken up in her new flat in Edinburgh to a bright sunny day that was warm and inviting. She had taken some extra time for a walk before finally showing up at her job at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the result of a transfer from her old position in Mannerton.

After the walk, she was greeted by her new friends in the secretarial pool: Mary and Shirley. Both of them had been so much help as she made the transition to her new role as secretary to a couple of the high-ranking officials in this Ministry location. The three of them frequently went out for lunch together or even went to each other’s flats to share a bottle of wine and plenty of conversation.

Work itself wasn’t so bad either. After a few weeks of getting used to new people, new routines and increased responsibilities, Madge found that she enjoyed the challenges her job gave her now. There might have been more pressure, but there was also far less tedium.

Lunch that day had been at a new French place that had opened up, and she, Mary, and Shirley had enjoyed light, tasty meals while discussing plans for the weekend.

However, it was during that lunch, during what was often a highlight of her day, that Madge encountered the question that would put a different perspective on the rest of her day.

“Madge,” Mary had said between sips of wine. “When are we going to see you go out with someone special?”

It had been a harmless question. Her friends had set her up on several blind dates these last few weeks, but none of these potential relationships lasted more than a dinner or two. She couldn’t really blame them for being curious if any of the men they had introduced her to had caught her fancy.

Still, that question continued to niggle in the back of her mind. While still at work, she was able to distract herself from it with copious tasks. After work, while she was buying a few things she needed from the store and while walking back to her flat, it began to cloud her thoughts.

It wasn’t until she was home, until she had put her things away and had sat down with a drink in the quiet of her living room that the reason it had bothered her finally made itself clear.

The fact was, she had someone special once. Could have had someone special. But she had never given him a chance to become someone special to her.

Madge’s hand shook as she finished the drink in her glass. She sat the empty tumbler down and bowed her head.

No…no, she couldn’t be like this. Tristan was right. Coming to Edinburgh was the right thing for her. She really was happier here. She had a future that she looked forward to, both professionally and personally. It would take time, of course it would take time, but eventually, she’d find someone else who could be special to her.

Not someone like Tristan. He could never be replaced. Madge knew she wouldn’t let it happen anyway. There would have to be someone else, someone who could bring a new sort of love to her life.

It would just take time. She just had to get through nights like this when all she could see was Tristan’s lovely smile and the poignant glint of longing in his eyes.

Madge wiped at her own eyes and managed to smile. She would write Tristan a letter tomorrow. It had been too long since she had done that. She hoped he was doing well.

Or at very least, she hoped that he wasn’t having nights like the one she was sure to have tonight.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes at some point during Season Four.

_October 20th Prompt: I ignore you._

* * *

 

Vets were a necessary evil. There was no way around that. It was an unavoidable fact that Biggins had learned long ago when his father started to hand over the responsibilities of their farm to him. Consequently, he didn’t mind so much that he had to call them out every once in a while. Sometimes, vets could even be useful.

No, it was some of their habits, those irritating, lordly habits that Biggins knew he could do without.

At that particular moment, it was Herriot’s quirks that were bothering him. Specifically, his tendency to arrange as many follow up visits as possible. With all the new science everyone was always talking about these days, Biggins figured vets should have been able to find ways to treat an animal the first time they come out rather than stretch their treatments out over several visits.

Of course, Biggins knew the real reason why Herriot couldn’t get things done with the first visit and it had nothing to do with the so-called “limits of veterinary science” and everything to do with extra brass in the pocket.

Today had been a perfect example of Herriot’s over-caution and inability to get things done right away. Sure, he stitched up that cow right away and gave it an injection. That should have been the end of it, but of course, it wasn’t. Naturally, he found an excuse to keep coming out for at least another two weeks to give more injections.

Even worse, Herriot found a way to make his job last longer and make other people do some of the work he should have been doing himself.

“… _and remember to give her two spoonfuls of that medicine in the mornings every day, Mr. Biggins. That should clear up that digestive upset while the injections will prevent any infection from her wound….”_

Biggins snorted when he thought about what Herriot had said again. He’d only called him out to stitch up a cow’s leg, not find something else wrong with her so he’d have more charges on his bill. All that cow needed was a chance to get out into the pastures again which it couldn’t do because of its hurt leg.

Besides, why should he have to pay Herriot to treat the animal when he was having to medicate it too?

Biggins pulled the bottle of medicine out of his pocket and started at it. It wasn’t one he recognized. Probably something they came up with just recently. After the war, they started pushing all sorts of new fancy drugs which came with new fancy higher prices. A lot of it treated things that were just as easily fixed with good old-fashioned home remedies or simply time and plenty of fresh air.

He sat the bottle onto a shelf near the entrance of the barn and strolled back toward the house. He wasn’t about to toss that bottle away, not when he’d be charged for it anyway. But that didn’t mean he was going to add what he knew was a nuisance errand to his already lengthy list of daily chores. That cow would be just fine in a few days, fancy new medicine or no.

Biggins shook his head and glanced back toward the barn. Vets. Such a fidgety, fussy lot, all of them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is an episode tag for "Fair Means and Fowl" (Episode 2.03)

_October 21st Prompt: I need you._

* * *

If there was any one thing that irritated Siegfried Farnon beyond endurance, it had to be when he became helpless in any way.

It wasn’t something that happened very often. The Farnons were fortunate to be blessed with hearty constitutions which resisted most illnesses, and Siegfried had been careful enough in his work to avoid most of the injuries that less cautious vets often received.

However, this time he hadn’t been so lucky, although it wasn’t due to his own carelessness. No, it had to have been his little brother forgetting to close that gate and letting those blasted guinea fowl escape. Why were they there anyway? Siegfried was sure that the lessons that had been learned from when they had kept pigs would have discouraged the addition of any more livestock to the premises.

And yet, here he was, suffering from an injured hand and wrist all because he had tried to be the responsible one and not let those birds roam wild all over Darrowby. It was clear now that they’d have to be gotten rid of no matter what anyone else in the house might think. Although that was a small comfort given how he’d have to put up with having one useless hand for at least two more days.

Siegfried leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. Thankfully, Ewan had kept his word and had operated on that horse earlier today. An operation that was a perfect example of Ewan’s tremendous skill. Siegfried chided himself for having any doubts beforehand that Ewan would pull it off. He never let him down when he mattered.

However, that still left the rest of his jobs around the practice to take care of. He’d been able to shift the call outs to James and Tristan for the rest of that day, but he would need to attend to morning surgery tomorrow. Siegfried didn’t look forward to it as he knew that there would probably be times when he’d have to actually ask the assistance of the clients. Like when he needed to have their animals placed onto the examining table for example.

A scowl appeared on Siegfried’s face. He thought about pouring himself a drink, but his mood was too sour to move at the moment. It was easier to sit here and not have to remind himself of his current debilitated state.

“Hello Siegfried.”

Siegfried sighed heavily as he opened his eyes. The last thing his aggravated nerves needed was his little brother agitating him even more. It went against his usual belief in civil manners, but he chose not to reply and to glower at the fireplace.

“Do you mind if I…?”

Of course Tristan wanted another drink from his tantulus. The only thing that had surprised Siegfried was that his brother had bothered with the nicety of saying hello to him first.

He still did not reply which Tristan must have taken as assent given how he could hear the clink of a glass bottle making contact with a tumbler a few seconds later. There was far too much sloshing of liquid for just his little brother and he was all set to turn around and finally break his silence with a heated lecture about boozing in the evenings.

Before he could get a single word out though, Tristan had appeared beside him and had crouched down to hand him a glass of whiskey.

“…thank you, Tristan,” he mumbled, taking the tumbler.

Tristan nodded and sat down beside him, sipping at his own glass. Meanwhile, Siegfried’s face flushed, suddenly ashamed of his behavior.

“Siegfried….”

“Yes, little brother.”

“Seeing as we don’t have many calls to attend to tomorrow, well….James said he could take care of them. So I thought I’d stay with you in the surgery.”

Annoyance flared up inside Siegfried again, his eyes narrowing. “Why? Tomorrow is your day off. You should focus on your revision for your exams.”

“I will…in the afternoon,” Tristan said. “But there’s still morning surgery and, well…” He took a long swig, wincing at the after burn. “You know I always learn more from practical experience. If I’m going to prepare for my exams anyway, I might as well do something that will be really useful.”

Siegfried’s face fell even more. If this was Tristan’s best efforts at hiding his real motives from him; his little brother was hopelessly inept at it. It was painfully obvious that Tristan was choosing to work in the surgery tomorrow because he thought his elder brother needed his help. True, having Tristan there would mean avoiding even more uncomfortable requests from the clients, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t bothered by his little brother having to take care of him that way.

 But then an unexpected sadness stirred in his heart. Was it really so terrible to need one’s own family? Why did it hurt to have a reason to keep someone close by who you wanted in your life anyway? Was he really so stubbornly independent that he’d rather push his little brother away than accept his help?

He jumped a little when he suddenly felt a hand on his arm.

“Siegfried…?”

Siegfried looked over to see Tristan studying with concern in his eyes. The frown on his face immediately shifted to a rueful smile.

“All right. And we probably should get some more things mixed up for the dispensary too while we’re at it.”

Tristan rolled his eyes slightly, but still nodded his head. “Right.”

Siegfried chuckled softly and finally took a sip of his drink. “Speaking of instruction, I should tell you about the operation I watched Ewan perform today. The man is a marvel, Tristan. Both of us could learn much from him.”

Tristan shifted in his seat, his expression much more attentive as Siegfried took another long drink before starting with his observations from that morning.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place during "Call of the Wild" (Episode 6.03)

_October 22nd Prompt: I miss you._

* * *

Skeldale House had changed.

Siegfried’s face fell as that thought entered his mind while walking in through the front door and then into the surgery. Physically, the house hadn’t changed all that much. True, several of the rooms weren’t being used anymore, and of course, it had been re-decorated several times over the years. Still, most people walking into the place, such as their regular clients, would probably say it hadn’t really changed at all.

But that was just a surface thing. Something that people who didn’t really know the house all the way down to its foundation would say. This wasn’t the case for Siegfried. He’d spent years in that house, first as a junior partner in a practice and eventually as the sole partner and owner of the property itself.

In fact, he still owned it to this day even though he had moved into another house once he married Caroline and had continued to live there after Timothy and Edward were born. It probably wasn’t practical to keep both houses. Many have suggested that he move the surgery into a smaller building and sell the place. But Siegfried knew he would never do it. Skeldale was always more than just a workplace or a residence. He would hold onto it until he was finished as a vet…and even then he wasn’t entirely sure that he wouldn’t try to keep it in the family.

However, despite the attachment he still felt for the place, Siegfried began to realize recently that it didn’t feel the same when he walked into it these days. At first, it wasn’t something he could put his finger on what had changed which bothered him. While he was always an advocate for change in relation to professional and community matters, when it came to his personal life, Siegfried loathed it. Change involving the people closest to him always had the potential for someone precious to leave or become someone he didn’t know anymore.

These days, both of these things had happened, and that only added to Siegfried’s unease.

Siegfried sat his bag onto the counter and sighed. The house was so quiet in the mornings now. James, Helen and the kids had moved out to Rowengareth which meant no more bustle and patter of feet preparing for the new day. Tristan was in Ireland and Calum was preparing to marry Deidre and leave for Nova Scotia. A house keeper came in for a few hours every afternoon to clean, but a live-in domestic wasn’t really necessary anymore.

The fact was, Skeldale House would no longer be a home.

Granted, Siegfried understood and sympathized with the reasons for that. It just wasn’t a practical place to live in unless one had at least one dedicated domestic and more than one person to look after. When Siegfried had moved in, he had brought Tristan with him and the senior partner and another assistant were living there as well. It worked as the living quarters for a group of bachelors, but it wasn’t ideal for families.

Siegfried walked over to the desk and sat down. Thoughts of when he first moved here with Tristan brought their own pangs of wistfulness. His little brother had already been gone for a few months and it was beginning to look like he would be away for quite a while longer. In fact, no one was sure anymore when he would be back.

Even more disquieting were the letters Tristan sent which included passages where he mused about what it would be like to stay there indefinitely. Of course, Siegfried was pleased that his little brother was enjoying his time there and was feeling a sense of satisfaction from his work. Then again, he had originally sent Tristan there with the thought that it would be good for him to have this experience as a way to fully transition from his office job to back full time country practice.

He hadn’t considered the possibility that it could lead to a long term separation.

Siegfried let out a sigh and put his glasses on. James and Helen would be here before too long, and there was still much to do to prepare for the wedding. It was time to stop this melancholic meditation and get started on the day. There was plenty to fill his day as there usually was.

Still, as he paged through the day book, scrawling the beginnings of the lists he would make for himself and James, Siegfried still couldn’t completely get rid of his pensive state of mind.

Change was inevitable. It was necessary and important for growth. Change might be difficult, but it was often worth the struggles.

Siegfried just wished that change didn’t have to mean saying goodbye to the things and people dearest to his heart.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in the earlier part of Season Two.
> 
> This chapter ended up being much longer than any of my other prompt fills....

_October 23rd Prompt: I hate you._

* * *

 St. John already knew he was in trouble. He was used to that. Unfortunately, this time, he couldn’t think of a way to get out of it.

* * *

The evening had started out innocently enough. He had just gotten through a boring, overly taxing week of veterinary studies and had been invited to a party.  Andrew Hindley, his study partner, had a friend who was hosting this get-together at a pub just outside Edinburgh. St. John knew the kinds of friends Hindley favored and was eagerly anticipating a wild, fun-filled night.

He also knew that his friend, Tristan Farnon, had had a long week too, so St. John invited him along. Tristy was an ideal person to take along for gatherings as he was always good for a well-placed smile or laugh. Plus, as the upper classman, albeit only by one year, St. John saw it as his responsibility to get Tristy more involved with the hottest local social scenes. Especially these days with him spending so much time at his brother’s practice in dreary Darrowby.

The party had already been in full swing when they arrived. The music was loud and the dancing was evening louder. Laughter filled the air as people tossed streamers and balloons around. Tables stacked with platters of food invited them. Next to them were stands with bowls of punch, many of which had been mixed with things much more potent than fruit juices or carbonated beverages.  

Tristy immediately got into the spirit of things, pouring himself large cupfuls of the stronger mixes of punch and weaving around the room, looking for girls to dance with him.

Meanwhile, St. John caught up with the Hughes sisters, both of whom he had had his eye on for a long time. He had just started to make arrangements for a date the three of them could go on when Hindley suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

“Hey, that chap you came with, he’s not looking so good.”

St. John had rolled his eyes in frustration over the interruption. Tristy usually held his liquor like a champ. It wasn’t like him to get completely pie-eyed and legless. That was part of the reason why he’d brought Tristan along. Because he was a hassle-free party companion.

A thud and chorus of gasps startled St. John to attention. He pushed his way through a ring of people huddled around to find Tristan sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. Hindley knelt down beside him and leaned close. A few seconds later, he sat up, his face ashen.

“Hey, hey, he’s not doing good at all. We gotta get help!”

* * *

St. John let out a long sigh. The events after that were a rushed blur of frantic phone calls that brought out a doctor and then an ambulance to the pub. St. John had followed the ambulance to the hospital, partially to avoid the constable that had showed up around the same time the ambulance did.

Once he got there, he found himself confronted with a moral dilemma. Tristy usually wouldn’t ask him for anything which was part of the reason why he was such a pleasant chap to be with. But the one sincere request he did make was that, if he ever got into serious trouble and couldn’t do it himself, St. John was to get a hold of his older brother, Siegfried, and let him know what was going on.

St. John had tried to run through every excuse he could think of to avoid making that phone call, but came up empty. The way Tristan looked as he was being carried out…grey, completely limp and barely breathing…was still a vivid picture in his brain. That turned out to be enough to finally convince him that trouble couldn’t get much more serious than this.

For all Tristy had told him about his older brother’s constant nagging, lecturing and shouting, St. John had been surprised at how quiet Siegfried had been on the phone. In fact, he hadn’t said a single word while St. John told him what happened and where he was now. Once he was finished, there was a long pause before a soft, subdued voice came over the line.

“I see. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Then, there was just a dial tone. Abrupt, but then again, not completely surprising given what he had heard about Siegfried Farnon.

St. John sank down onto a chair in the waiting area and sighed again. While attending college with Tristan, he had heard plenty about his big brother, Siegfried. About how his elder brother was difficult, bad tempered, explosive, tyrannical, and absolutely terrifying. Tristy claimed that his brother was why he dreaded exam time as any poor results would earn Siegfried’s wrath.

St. John had casually listened with a sympathetic ear, but didn’t put too much stock into any of it. After all, Tristy always kept regular correspondence with his brother and seemed happy to go home to visit him whenever possible. Plus, Tristy did mention that it was his brother who was paying for his education and who gave him an allowance while he was in Edinburgh. Granted, St. John had never met him, but from his perspective, Tristy’s brother sounded like something of a soft touch.  So how much of an ogre could Siegfried really be?

Hours later, Hindley stopped by to see how Tristan was doing and reported on what had happened after St. John left. Turned out that the Adams cousins had showed up and had thought it would be amusing to add some things they had stolen from their uncle’s chemist shop nearby to some of the food and drink. Most of it was relatively harmless, but Tristy had gotten something that did not mix well at all with the copious amount of alcohol he’d been drinking.

“You know how those two normally are these parties. Yeah, they like to have a laugh, but they never did anything like this before. You know that,” Hindley told him. “Honest, I had no idea things would go that far.”

After that had come out, the constable had arrested the cousins for dosing the food and drink and, thankfully, didn’t think to arrest anyone else there. Although, it was pretty much the end of the party.

It wasn’t the worst outcome possible, but St. John suspected that it would be a long time before he could get that date he was trying to finagle out of the Hughes sisters. Not to mention how the rest of his night had been ruined. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be made even worse by Tristy kicking the bucket on top of it all.

Shortly after Hindley had left, a man with a determined, commanding step marched into the hospital. Although he’d never met or even seen a picture of him, St. John was certain that this was Siegfried Farnon. The man wasn’t an exact match for Tristy. In fact, he was rather shorter than St. John expected. But he had the same blond hair and vivid blue eyes as Tristy and the scowl the man had on his face certainly looked like how St. John had imagined from Tristan’s description of him.

“Siegfried,” he called out as he stood up. The man abruptly stopped and turned toward him.

“You must be St. John,” Siegfried said as he came closer. “I’ve heard plenty about you.”

“All of it good, I hope,” St. John said with a short laugh.

“On the contrary,” Siegfried said with a real matter-of-fact tone. “I’ve heard nothing good at all. My brother, how is he?”

St. John’s smile faltered. This certainly wasn’t a good start. “I don’t know. They took him in a long time ago, but no one’s said anything yet.”

Siegfried took his hat off and began scanning the area around him, probably looking for a doctor. Fortunately, this unspoken demand was met seconds later when a man with a long white coat walked over to meet them.

“Ah yes, you are here about…yes, Tristan Farnon. Remarkable name, that.”

“Yes, I’m his brother,” Siegfried announced brusquely. “How is he? Is he…will he…?”

“It was close, Mr. Farnon. Very close, I’m afraid,” the doctor replied. “But he’ll be all right.”

Then the doctor explained how Tristan had actually stopped breathing at one point, how hard they had had to work to resuscitate him and how they had even had to pump his stomach, an experience that didn’t sound pleasant at all to St. John.

The doctor also filled in some details about how Tristan had ended up in this state. For a moment, St. John wondered where the doctor had gotten his information from, but then figured the constable must have rung him up at some point.

Throughout this, Siegfried had remained silent. His jaw was tight and his eyes stony. It was unnerving, but certainly not the terrifying demeanor that St. John had been led to expect.

“When can I take him home?” Siegfried finally asked at the end of it.

“Not tonight,” the doctor responded. “It’s best that we monitor him overnight in case the residue of the drugs in his system causes any more problems. It should be all right to take him home tomorrow though.”

Siegfried nodded. “I want to see him.”

“Yes, of course,” the doctor said, holding out an arm.

Siegfried followed him down the corridor with St. John trailing some distance behind. Truthfully, he wanted to get as far away from this place as possible. But he also knew a part of him would feel bad if he didn’t check on Tristy at least once.

“I do ask that you keep your visit short,” the doctor murmured once they had walked into a room with a row of beds. “He needs to rest.”

Siegfried nodded again and walked over to the bed nearest to the door. Once he was there, he paused and stared at the still figure lying there.

St. John inched over closer and then took in a sharp breath over what he saw. Tristan’s face was still grey and drawn although there was a fleck of color in his cheeks now. His face shined with perspiration which was thicker around his lips and had matted his hair down. His eyes had red-purplish rings around them and appeared slightly sunken.

Siegfried took off his coat and gloves and tossed them along with his hat onto one of the chairs. Then he moved closer and gingerly placed his hand onto Tristan’s forehead.

The touch brought Tristan around and he moaned softly, cracking open his eyes. As soon as he saw Siegfried, his mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wider.

“Siegfried,” he said between a croak and a whisper. St. John noted that his breathing was still labored and punctuated by an occasional gasp.

“Yes, Tristan,” Siegfried murmured. “I’m here.”

Then Tristan did something that St. John didn’t understand: he started to cry. Thankfully, it wasn’t full out blubbering. Just a pair of tears sliding down his cheeks. But it made St. John deeply uncomfortable to see it.

“Sorry,” Tristan gasped out. “Siegfried, I….”

Siegfried shushed him and pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. Then he gently brushed the tears away with his thumb.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Siegfried said. “But for now, just know that all I care about is that you’ll be all right. Do you understand, Tristan? That’s the only thing that matters to me.”

Tristan gave him the barest of nods and sniffled again. Siegfried took his hand into his and clasped it tightly.

Meanwhile, St. John watched this with open surprise. Siegfried didn’t appear to be a volatile ogre at all. Instead, he seemed to be very patient and kind. Sure, he was also rather rude and abrupt, but St. John could excuse that. Relatives almost dying had that effect on people.

Feeling like he should say something, St. John moved closer to the bed and gave Tristan his best jocular smile.

“Hey, Tristy…get better soon, all right? Things won’t be the same without you around.”

Tristy stared at him blankly for a second before finally summoning up a weak smile. St. John desperately searched his mind for something else appropriate to say when he was given a reprieve by the arrival of a nurse.

“Excuse me, I need to take Mr. Farnon’s vitals,” she said. “Could you wait outside for a couple of minutes while I check on him?”

“Of course,” Siegfried said, giving her the first smile that St. John had seen from him. He started to get up, but Tristan whimpered and grabbed at his hand.

“Siegfried….”

Siegfried finished standing up and squeezed Tristan’s hand before letting go and placing it back onto the bed.

“I’ll just be gone for a moment, Tristan,” he assured him. “I promise I’ll be back, so just rest now. And tomorrow, I’ll take you home. Mrs. Hall will have everything ready for you. And James and Helen will be very happy to see you.”

Tristy nodded again and sank back into his pillow. Siegfried walked briskly out of the room with St. John following him again.

Once they got out to the corridor, St. John let out a long sigh of relief.

“Boy, that was close, wasn’t it? Good thing Tristy’s got nine lives or maybe the best luck in the world. Honestly, when I saw how he looked when they….”

St. John’s words immediately dropped off when he got a look at the way Siegfried was glaring at him. The caring, tender look in his eyes that he had while speaking to Tristy had vanished. In its place was fiery rage that was swiftly building in strength. He began to slowly walk toward him, and St. John gulped and backed away.

“S-Siegfried,” he stuttered, trying his best placating smile. “None of this was supposed to happen. Those guys, well…it was just supposed to be a laugh, Siegfried. No harm meant, honestly.”

“A laugh?” Siegfried said in a low growl. “You took my brother to this party knowing that there would be people like that there, people who almost killed him, and you say it was supposed to be a laugh?”

“That’s not what I meant. It was just….”

“Stop!” Siegfried snapped, pointing his finger at him. “I’ve tolerated your antics and the trouble you’ve involved Tristan in thus far because I don’t believe in interfering with my brother’s social life. But not any more.”

St. John backed away even more. Siegfried face was livid with anger and he was advancing on him again. He turned to sprint away, but Siegfried grabbed him by the arm and then yanked him back so he faced him. Then he took St. John by the lapels of his jacket and pushed him against the wall. The hands that held him were shaking slightly.

“Leave,” Siegfried hissed at him. “Get out of here and never come back. And if I ever see you near my brother again or hear of any more trouble from you…I’ll tear you apart with my bare hands.”

St. John goggled at him, a shiver creeping down his spine. At that moment, everything that Tristy had said about Siegfried came back to him and he realized how mistaken he had been to not listen to Tristan’s warnings. The fury in Siegfried’s eyes was more than enough to convince St. John that Siegfried probably meant every single word that he said.

He managed to wriggle out of Siegfried’s grip and dashed down the corridor and out into the night air. Once he was there, he took a deep, shuddering breath, still shaken by the worrying threat he had just gotten.

Siegfried Farnon was more than just bad-tempered and tyrannical. He was probably dangerous if severely crossed. And that risk increased many times over if the transgression involved his apparently precious little brother. St. John was convinced of that now.

St. John pulled his collar away from his throat and took in another lungful of air. This would probably blow over before too long. He did remember Tristy saying that Siegfried never stayed angry for any real length of time. He’d just have to make sure that he and Tristy kept quiet about meeting up with each other from now on. And it would probably be a good idea if he avoided visiting Tristy in Darrowby for a while.

He got into his car and sped off, wishing he could get a drink somewhere. Yes, Siegfried Farnon most likely wouldn’t be one his fans any time soon. He’d just have to wait until Siegfried forgot about this incident before being more of a presence in Tristy’s life again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> St. John was a character that came back into Tristan's life in "Spring Fever" (Episode 7.05). I had often wondered why, out of all of Tristan's wayward friends in college, Siegfried apparently had a particular hatred for St. John. A hatred that was so strong, James knew plenty about it and Tristan knew he needed to keep St. John hidden from Siegfried. 
> 
> Although, another detail that fascinated me was that Siegfried didn't recognize this person who he loathed so much years later. Which made me wonder if maybe they had only met once before...
> 
> Thus, why I thought an explanation would fit for this day's prompt.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place some time in Season One.
> 
> On a side note, yes I know I am behind, but I will finish up by the end of tomorrow.....so lots of chapters are coming soon....

_October 24 Prompt: I'm scared of you._

* * *

_‘Oh why did he have to come here? To these bad places?’_

Danny tugged at the leash, straining to pull Matthew, his human companion, in another direction. But deep down, he knew he’d have no choice. He’d have to go where Matthew wanted him to.

When they had first gone out today, Danny thought that they were going on another pleasant walk. There had been plenty of those recently ever since Matthew moved out of the place where so many houses were all packed together close and had come to this place with wide open fields and hills. The air was clean and crisp and there was so much space to run in.

However, it wasn’t long before Danny realized that they weren’t going into the fields behind their new home. No, they were going into the car. Well, that wasn’t always so bad. Car rides could be fun. Danny loved the feeling of the wind whipping through his fur and flopping his ears about.

Danny wondered where Matthew was taking them and hoped that it would include getting some food. After all, breakfast was a long time ago. Surely, it was time for another meal. Or maybe they would meet some more dogs. There certainly were a lot of dogs in this new place. Whenever he and Matthew walked where there were more houses, they almost always passed by another dog and their companion. Not all of them were friendly, but most of them were.

But as soon as they stopped the car and Matthew got real quiet, Danny knew that something was wrong. Very wrong.

_'Matthew…why are you looking at me that way? Did I do something bad? What did I do?’_

Finally, Matthew patted his head and got out of the car. Then he opened the other door so Danny could get out.

When he got outside, he saw a house he’d never seen before. Matthew gently pulled on his leash to lead him up to the door and then inside.

Once he was inside, Danny immediately knew why Matthew had acted so oddly. He recognized the sounds, and smells from the corridor. This was one of those bad places. Places where people in white coats would hurt you with sharp things and make you eat things that tasted funny.

Danny whined and tried pulling back toward the door, but it was no use. Matthew continued to walk toward an opening where another man in a white coat stood there, smiling at them.

“Hello, Mr. Herriot. I’ve brought Danny to see you.”

“Hello, Danny.” A hand reached down to pat his head. Well, that wasn’t something the other men in the white coats did. “Let’s get a closer look at you.”

Danny tensed up as Matthew and that man lifted him up onto a table. He still shook, waiting for the moment when the man would poke at him or do some other horrid thing. But the man was surprisingly gentle, choosing to touch lightly instead of prod roughly and kept patting him every once in a while. It really was a change from the last time he was in one of these rooms.

“You were right to bring Danny in,” the man finally said. “It’s not serious, but it could have been if you’d let it go too long. Here, I’ve got something that will clear this up.”

Danny almost whined again. This was the part where someone would stick him with something sharp or give him the foul-tasting things. There was a tiny pick at one point, like a bug pestering him, but Danny barely felt it. Then he saw the man hold up something for Matthew to take.

“There. That injection should help and you just mix some of this in his food for the next three days,” the man said. “That should take care of it. Go ahead and bring him back by the end of the week just to make sure though.”

“I’ll do that, Mr. Herriot,” Matthew said. “Thank you.”

The man smiled at him again and gave him a thorough scratch around the ears.

By now, Danny had dared to allow himself to relax. How odd. This place wasn’t near as bad as the other ones used to be.

Maybe….maybe being here wasn’t so terrible after all.

 


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place late in Season Six.

_October 25th Prompt: I venerate you._

* * *

 

Caroline looked up from her book at the sound of the door opening and closing, a smile appearing on her face.

Siegfried had had to leave right in the middle of dinner due to a bad calving that looked like it could kill both cow and calf. The boys had been disappointed. So had she. Siegfried had been called away for most of the evening for the last three days. It was part of the reality of being married to a country vet, but that didn’t mean that she never felt pangs of loneliness waiting much of the night for him to come home.

By now, the children had gone to bed, sad that Father had missed their story times again, but also comforted by promises of an entire day they could all spend together which was coming soon.

Outside, the moon was hidden behind waves of clouds, only the faintest, sickly glow giving any light at all. A cold wind was tearing what few leaves remained on the trees off. It was hardly a night to be out, but her husband had rushed off with all the energy of a man half his age.

Caroline smiled even more. She often wondered where all that vigor came from and eventually decided it was because her husband’s indomitable mind refused to allow his body to age as quickly as it normally would.

She heard the hushed sounds of her housekeeper, Mrs. Aldridge, taking Siegfried’s coat and hastening to shut the house up from the next icy blast of wind. She had just gotten up when Siegfried walked in.

Siegfried had read the questioning look on her face right away and shook his head. “The calf was dead before I got there. I thought I could save the cow, but…all I could do was put an end to its suffering.”

Caroline’s face fell. She knew that Siegfried was aware that there wasn’t anything he could have done, and yet her husband always took it hard when he lost the animals that meant so much to the small farms around Darrowby.  

It was then that Caroline took a closer look at Siegfried’s appearance. There were smudges of dirt all over his face and hands along with the distinct smell of hay, manure and blood in his clothes. Not pleasant smells, but ones that she had become familiar with.

“I’ll get Mrs. Aldridge to draw you a bath,” she said. Siegfried let out a small chuckle.

“All ready taken care of, my dear,” he said softly. “It was one of the first things she recommended when I came in the door. I continue to be amazed that a woman as fastidious as her can stand working for a country vet.”

“Mrs. Aldridge always did enjoy taking care of people,” Caroline smiled at him. “I think she secretly admires the fact that you do the same with animals.”

Siegfried shook his head sadly. “If only that were true tonight.”

Caroline’s smile fell away as she walked toward him. It was even easier to see the patches of dirt and stray bits of straw caught up in his suit. She picked a larger piece of hay away and put a hand onto his face.

“How about I fix you a drink while you wait for that bath?” she offered.

“Thank you, my dear,” he said in the same soft voice. He took her hand off his cheek and kissed her palm.

She still fully intended to get him a whiskey, but she could tell that this wasn’t what he actually wanted right now. So instead, she stroked both of his cheeks with her hands and then moved in for an embrace.

Siegfried took a step back from her. “My dear, I’m not fit yet to hold you. Not like this. Perhaps after I….”

“Siegfried, there’s never a moment when you are not welcome in my arms.”

A shy smile finally appeared on her husband’s face, and this time, he didn’t resist as she reached over to hold him close to her. She would probably have to change the robe she was wearing after this, but she didn’t care.

Caroline closed her eyes and smiled as she felt Siegfried’s arms envelop her, his face pressed against the crook of her neck.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place shortly after "The Bull with the Bowler Hat" (Episode 4.03)

_October 26th Prompt: I'm stuck on you._

* * *

Calum Buchanan was frustrated.

He’d gotten up early that day because he was hoping to get in some more deer watching before he had to start his rounds. He was certain that some new deer had moved into the forest and was seeking confirmation of his theory. So he grabbed a bag of the things he’d need along with a thermos of coffee and had taken off before dawn.

Now that he was well situated in his hiding place and was starting to see deer wander about, Calum found his mind starting to wander as well. Every time he tried to take note of each deer as it appeared, a face would appear in his thoughts. A face with blond hair and lively eyes. A face that was home to a voice as lovely and comforting as the heathers in Scotland.

It was her. Deidre McEwan. That girl Tristan was trying to date.

Calum let out a frustrated, but quiet as possible huff. He had heard a lot about her from Tris for weeks whenever Tris stopped by Darrowby. Last week, he’d finally had a chance to meet her when he offered to prepare his famous Buchanan Roast Duck for the two of them. It ended up being a dinner that he felt he had pulled off even better than usual.

Deidre had certainly lived up to Tris’ build up of her. She was very pretty and charming. He completely understood why Tris was so persistent in dating her.

However, during the date, Calum had been stunned at Tris’ lack of dating skill. A woman like that, of course, she wouldn’t be interested in fancy dinners or dances. She was a woman of Scotland. The land was a part of the core of her being. A woman like that needed things that were of her home. No wonder why Tris was floundering.

Calum blinked hard and scowled. Drat! More deer had walked by, and he had missed it. He needed to concentrate. Not dwell on Tris’ latest love interest. He took a deep breath and leaned forward to get a closer look at the doe and fawn that had just entered a clearing.

Then he wondered if Deidre would enjoy this too. If she was as in love with the wilds of nature as he was. If she would be as breathless as he felt while watching these deer race through the trees and fields. He could take her here. It’s something Tris would never want to do, so surely he wouldn’t mind it. Yes, the next time Tris dropped by, maybe he could….

Wait, he was doing it again! Why did he keep thinking about this girl? What was it about her that invaded his thoughts over and over again? It wasn’t like the two of them were dating. She was Tris’ girl. Not his. There was no point in thinking about her all the time.

But every time he told himself to stop thinking about her, his memories of her voice, her face and the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed came back to him again.

Calum shook his head. Thoughts of Deidre were not going to leave him alone any time soon.

And then he suddenly wondered if he really wanted those thoughts to go away.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during "Matters of Life and Death" (Episode 3.12)

_October 27th Prompt: I wonder at you._

* * *

 

James smiled and shook his head again for what felt like the tenth time that hour.

The problems at Billings’ farm had haunted him for days. He had looked over the building where the calves were kept, the food that they ate, and the routine Billings had them on over and over, but still could not find a thing that would explain what was happening. Nothing in their environment or their feed would explain why they were dying one after the other. There were no signs of contagious disease or any hereditary defect that would explain such a catastrophic loss of life.

Normally, James preferred to handle his cases himself, to persist until he found a solution on his own. However, after the first two dead calves, he knew that Billings did not have long to wait for him to find an answer without facing a devastating financial loss. Consequently, when Siegfried offered go with him this time to see if he could help, James realized that he couldn’t turn him down.

At first, Siegfried had been every bit as stumped as he had been, and James began to wonder if Billings would lose all of his calves to this mysterious ailment. All while still being none the wiser as to what caused it.

Then it happened. Siegfried spotted a tiny, seemingly insignificant detail: a bit of a scab in a bucket of milk. And from that scrap of information, he was able to deduce what had happened. Once again, a disreputable salesman had convinced one of the local farmers to use an unproven and dangerous substance on their livestock. This time, it’d been Billings who had to learn this hard lesson about the importance of consulting a vet before using unknown potions on his animals.

After Siegfried made this discovery, the two of them worked with Billings to scrub away as much of the loose bits of scabs from the calves’ horn buds as they could. Then Siegfried left him with instructions about how to take care of any bits of crust that might remain or form later. It had been a frustrating experience for Billings, but he still expressed abundant gratitude that they had saved the rest of his calves.

Siegfried drove the car back toward Skeldale while James spent much of the trip glancing out at the countryside speeding by his window. He hadn’t even thought to ask about any potions or medicines that Billings might have given them. Why hadn’t he? To be fair, Siegfried hadn’t either, but he was still the one who figured it out in the end.

James looked over at Siegfried who was resting his forearms against the wheel while he drove. He knew Siegfried well enough to know that his partner wouldn’t gloat, wouldn’t belittle him for not figuring it out himself. Siegfried never was like that. It was an attribute James was immensely grateful for at the moment.

However, even more at the forefront of his mind was how brilliant Siegfried was. James imagined that there were many who wouldn’t guess this about Siegfried due to Siegfried’s legendary impatience and impulsiveness. But lurking just behind that erratic behavior of his was an intelligent, lively mind, always observing and always thinking several steps ahead. Really, both of the Farnon brothers possessed quick, clever brains, but Siegfried’s was the one that James saw more of in their work.

“Of course, it was pure chance, James,” Siegfried suddenly said. “If that calf hadn’t moved his head in just that way at that exact moment, we probably would still be missing it.”

James smiled and stifled a laugh. Yes, this was typical Siegfried as well. It didn’t make a difference though. James knew he would probably never completely lose the feelings of awe he sometimes had while watching Siegfried at work.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place at some point in Season Five.

_October 28th Prompt: I yearn for you._

* * *

 

Sometimes, Helen wished that she could have a second honeymoon that was exactly like her first one.

As soon as that thought popped into her mind, she laughed and sat the cup she was cleaning down onto the counter. When she was a young woman, she had tried to imagine what a romantic adventure her future honeymoon would be. Maybe she would go to Scotland or Ireland or maybe even somewhere like France or Spain. Wherever it was, she pictured days spent on leisurely strolls, admiring beautiful places. Then there would be the nights of candlelit dinners and soft music.

She certainly hadn’t imagined a honeymoon spent among bulls and cows, writing down test results onto pads of paper and forms.

Helen picked up the cup again and lazily wiped at it. No, it wasn’t the sort of honeymoon that girls were taught to expect, and yet it had still felt like a romantic adventure to her. There were the days spent among the loveliness of the Dales countryside. And then nights lying in bed together as the stars came out in the sky they could see through their window.

These quiet snatches of romance had meant to Helen than her vague dreams from her teenage years. But what always stood out even more in her mind was that she was sharing, really sharing, in James’ life now. It wasn’t just the domestic sphere that she existed in. She was now a part of his professional life as well. They were partners in every sense of the word.

Of course, she still took part in maintaining the practice at Skeldale by handling the paperwork and answering the phone, but it wasn’t the same. Not like when she was working alongside him among the animals.

And of course, it wasn’t feasible for her to go out into the field with her husband most of the time these days. Not with Jimmy and Rosie to take care of. Someone had to be home for them with the erratic hours that James kept. Granted, she had some time while they were at school, but then there were all the social obligations she had built up for herself over the years. She could always cut back, but when she started to think about where she could trim her schedule, she found very little that she actually wanted to remove from her life.

Helen finally finished wiping the cup and sat it up in the cupboard, a wistful smile on her face. Wanting to run off to take care of animals with her husband wasn’t a fairy tale sort of dream, but it was her romantic dream nevertheless. It wasn’t one she could live right now, but that was mainly by choice and she could make peace with that.

Still, she saw no reason why she had to discard this dream. There would come a day when Jimmy and Rosie would become more independent. When others would look to take on some of the obligations she currently carried. When life would create empty spaces again like the ones she had had at the beginning of her marriage.

When that time came, James and his work would still be there. And she would go off with him. Partners again in work and life and love.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place late in Season One.

_October 29th Prompt: I'm better than you._

* * *

Tristan Farnon let out a long sigh as he entered the surgery.

He knew that today was going to be a long day. Siegfried had scheduled several of their most difficult dogs and dog owners for a visit today, including the infamous and terrifying Clancy. Well, Clancy might not be too bad if he could convince Joe Mulligan that all he needs is a bottle of the usual stuff….maybe….

Tristan shrugged off his coat and pulled on a white jacket from the back of the door. Siegfried had already left to check on a horse at Lord Hulton’s place. Or, more accurately, probably to briefly glance over a horse before being treated to fine food and drinks by Lord Hulton. Tristan scowled when he thought about how smug Siegfried must have been when he made the lists of chores and surgery assignments for the day.

He glanced over the list of potential visits and then checked the waiting area. No one was there yet. Maybe he’d have time for a quick smoke before….

The side door leading into the waiting area opened and Tristan rolled his eyes before putting his best smile on his face. Although, once he saw who it was, that smile fell away.

“Mr. Farnon, I brought….oh…it’s you, Tristan.”

Tristan tried smiling again, albeit with a bitter edge. “Hello, Cecil. If you were looking for my brother, I’m afraid he….”

“Well, I rather was, but I suppose you’ll do,” Cecil replied, giving his dog a quick pat on the head. “I mean, you are qualified by now, surely.”

Tristan’s jaw tightened. He didn’t want to say the words aloud, but then again, he didn’t need to. His silent pause told the whole story, a fact that Cecil clearly did not miss.

“Ah…I see. Not yet then. Well…hopefully you’re brother will let you keep trying,” Cecil said with the most patronizing smile possible. “It’s nothing major anyway. Something even you could handle. My poor old Scotty here just needs his usual injection for that digestive issue he sometimes gets. Mr. Farnon has a record of it, I’m sure, so you could….”

“Yes, I know what my brother has your dog on,” Tristan interrupted. “Go ahead and put him on the table, and I’ll get it.”

Cecil smiled blandly at him and Tristan turned away. Cecil Milner was a cousin of a minor aristocrat from near Leeds. He had a brother who went to the same veterinary college in Edinburgh at the same time Tristan started to attend and was currently in practice in Leeds. Cecil married a woman from Darrowby and had decided to buy additional land and have a larger house built adjacent to her family’s farm.

Tristan fetched the vial containing Scotty’s medicine from a top shelf and began to fill a syringe. He’d met Cecil more than once during his visits with his brother. Tristan knew that both Cecil and his brother were highly amused at his struggles with oral exams and his continued failure to become qualified. It was irritating, but something Tristan chose not to dwell on.

A choice that was much harder to do when Cecil was standing in the surgery.

“Here we are,” Tristan said, walking over to Scotty with the filled syringe. He was just about to inject him, when something caught his eye. He sat the syringe down on a nearby counter and leaned down so he could get a closer look at the dog’s mouth. He opened it wider and even took a sniff.

Cecil let out a pronounced sigh. “Oh Tristan, can’t you even do a simple injection without…”

“Well, I would Cecil, except your dog is sick,” Tristan said, still staring into the dog’s mouth. “And not just with that ‘usual digestive ailment’. If I had just given him the injection without addressing this other problem, he probably would have only lasted another couple of days.”

Cecil started. “Good lord. Tristan, can you….”

Tristan lifted his head, a trace of a smile on his face. “Can I take care of it? Of course. I just need to give him a couple pills before injecting him. Just a moment.”

Tristan gave the dog a pat and then headed back to the dispensary.

Cecil shuddered. “Well, thank Heaven you spotted it.” Tristan’s smile grew even wider and he turned back toward him.

“That’s why I’m here, Cecil.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place about mid-season in Season Two.

_October 30th Prompt: I trust you._

* * *

 

“Really Tristan. I’ve been willing to put up with your laziness, your less than precise handling of the truth, and your repeated descents into debauched behavior, but this…this is the absolute limit. I won’t stand for this.”

Siegfried frowned and continued to watch Tristan sit on the couch, staring at the fireplace. He had hoped that his words would finally prod his little brother to say something. Anything. Instead, Tristan continued to sit there silently, his expression inscrutable.

Earlier that day, Andrew Beale had called, screaming for blood. Siegfried had sent Tristan there a couple of days previous to look in on a horse that Siegfried had operated on. It was just supposed to be a quick examination to make sure that the wound was healing properly and to change the dressings.

However, two days later, the horse dropped down dead with no warning. Beale insisted that Tristan had someone botched his examination and had introduced something into the wound that led to a massive infection. Of course, he was demanding compensation for his loss or he would take them all to court. A threat that Siegfried was certain Beale would go through with.

When Tristan got home that evening, Siegfried immediately started to question him on his visit to Beale’s home. At first, Tristan simply explained what he did and how the horse looked when he left. However, Siegfried couldn’t leave it at that. He needed to know more. More about what he could have done or not done that could explain this outcome.

It was then that Tristan became oddly uncommunicative. Siegfried was used to his little brother protesting any criticism of his work to the bitter end and was unnerved that Tristan made no move to defend himself.

Had Tristan done something wrong? Was he responsible for that horse’s death? It seemed so unlikely. Granted, he wasn’t actually qualified, but his younger brother was far from inept at his work. He couldn’t have gotten things this wrong.

Could he?

Siegfried sat down next to Tristan and decided to try another approach.

“Tristan…I know I don’t often talk about it, but I can assure you that I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the course of my work. And I know James could tell you about a few blunders he’s made over the years. It happens to the best of us, little brother.”

Siegfried patted Tristan’s arm and was dismayed when he felt Tristan tense up in response.

“Whatever happened….whatever you might have done…we’ll work through it. So just….”

“I didn’t do it,” Tristan muttered. Siegfried blinked in surprise.

“Didn’t do it? You mean you didn’t…?”                      

Tristan finally looked up, a volatile mix of anger, frustration and hurt in his eyes.

“He said I gave that horse an injection right into the wound,” Tristan replied, his voice tightly wound. “But I didn’t. All I did was clean and change the dressings. There was a speck of something caught in the stitches, but I removed it with the forceps. That has to be what he thought was an injection. But I didn’t do it, Siegfried. And he….”

Tristan shook his head and looked ready to get up and run off, but Siegfried was having none of it. He held onto Tristan’s arm so he would stay.

“What is it?”

“That horse…there was something else wrong with him, Siegfried. I’m sure of it. His heart maybe. I couldn’t tell for sure. I told Beale that I thought he should call you right away if his horse seemed even the slightest bit worse, but he just laughed and said he’d been that way for a while.”

Tristan shook his head and looked down at his feet. “I should have told you, but he…. I’m sorry.”

Siegfried let out a long sigh. He couldn’t be sure yet, not without a post-mortem, but if what Tristan said was true and his vague suspicions were correct, there was nothing any of them could have done for that horse.

Problem was, Siegfried knew he’d have to push like hell to get that post-mortem. And if the results supported Beale’s version of events, they would be even worse off than before. It was no small risk to take.

Siegfried took another deep breath and suddenly realized that this was a surprisingly easy decision to make.

“I’ll go there tomorrow morning, Tristan. I’m going to ask Ewan Ross to be there, and I want you to come with me. We’re going to demand a post-mortem on that horse so Beale will finally know you were right to have him phone me.

Tristan’s head shot up, a startled look on his face, although Siegfried didn’t miss the gratitude behind the shock.

“Siegfried…I….”

“My mind is made up, little brother, so save your breath. You did nothing wrong, and I mean to prove it.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place immediately after "The Call of the Wild" (Episode 6.03).
> 
> It is also a sequel to my October 22nd chapter of this collection (Prompt: I miss you). Reading that before this last chapter will help this make even more sense.

_October 31st Prompt: I love you._

* * *

 

While Siegfried Farnon usually enjoyed social events, he was also usually happy to reach the end of them. However, that was not the case tonight.

That morning, Calum and Deidre had gotten married. It had been a small, quiet affair, but one filled with plenty of happiness and well-wishes for the bride and groom. It was both a new beginning and an ending as the two of them were due to leave the next morning for Nova Scotia for Calum’s new job.

Siegfried watched Calum and Deidre stare into each other’s eyes. It reminded him of the way Helen and James looked at each other. Or how he probably looked whenever he caught sight of his wife Caroline. Siegfried was certain that the two of them would be very happy together, no matter how far from home they were.

James and Helen had left a short while ago, needing to see to Jimmy and Rosie before it got too late. Caroline had already gone home to their boys for the same reason. Siegfried knew he should probably get going as well, but he was reluctant to leave due to someone else who was due to depart in the morning.

“You might as well finish off the rest of this champagne, Tris,” Calum said, handing Tristan a mostly empty bottle. “Deidre and I are off to bed.”

“Oh of course,” Tristan grinned at them. “I’ll make sure to lock up before I get to bed. And now, good night you two.”

Siegfried chuckled as he watched his little brother shake Calum’s hand and give Deidre a quick kiss on the cheek before they left the room. Once they were gone, Tristan turned toward him.

“Want to share the rest of this?” he offered. “There’s just enough for two glasses, I think.”

“Why not,” Siegfried said, fetching a glass from the table. Tristan poured out two very full glasses and then downed most of his in one large gulp.

“Once again, I see you have no idea how to enjoy fine spirits,” Siegfried sighed. Tristan smirked at him, but seemed unfazed as he sipped at the remainder of his drink.

“This is nice,” his little brother said. “But I’m looking forward to more of that wonderful malt whiskey once I get back to Ireland.”

Siegfried’s face fell. “Yes. How is that going? The work, I mean.”

Tristan shrugged. “Fine. Boring, tedious and way too many early hours, but progress has been good. And I still have plenty of time for other pursuits, including this….”

“Please, spare me a report of your latest bacchanals,” Siegfried sighed. Tristan pouted.

“I was about to say that I’ve also done some interesting horse jobs on the side. Really, Siegfried, you seem to have so little faith in me.”

Siegfried’s ire was rankled for a moment, but then he just shook his head.

“On the contrary, little brother. I sent you to Ireland with every hope of merely curbing some of your wayward habits. I had every confidence that you would be enriched by your work there.”

Siegfried finally took a swallow of his champagne and began to wander around the room.

“Yes, I just didn’t know that you would find the environment so congenial as well,” he continued. “Perhaps…perhaps the change is what was needed in your life. And maybe…maybe when you’re finished….”

Siegfried paused, facing the fire. He didn’t want to put the idea in the air, but he couldn’t see a way to avoid it. Tristan was clearly thriving in Ireland, and maybe it was time for a more permanent change. Maybe he would….

Suddenly, Siegfried felt a hand on his shoulder.

“And when I’m finished, I trust you and James will be glad to receive my invaluable assistance again,” Tristan added. “Especially now that Calum is running off to Nova Scotia with Deidre.”

Siegfried turned toward him. His little brother was beaming at him, but with none that irritating humor of his.

“It should only be a few more months, Siegfried,” Tristan said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Siegfried finally managed to smile back. Perhaps a change had been needed, but apparently, Tristan hadn’t seen his upcoming departure as the beginning of a new chapter in his life the way Calum and Deidre did theirs.

He reached over and gripped Tristan’s shoulder. Siegfried wished he could find the words to thank his little brother for that assurance, for his decision to return, but his emotions smothered all the words he could think of.

Not that it mattered. Siegfried was certain that Tristan already knew everything he wished he could say.


End file.
